Enduring Legacy: Shadow of the Sun
by Conflict
Summary: "A fragment of Naruto finds its way to where the modern world and Greek myths intertwine. A dark future looms over the fate of Olympus. But a simple soul can light up the world." Expect a lot of deviation from canon timelines like Thalia not becoming a tree which has positive and negative consequences. FemNaru.(Next Update: April 8, 2017)
1. 1001: Butterfly

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Butterfly|-

* * *

White smoke explodes and disrupts the calm of the moonless night with a small *pop*. The smoke parts and reveals the form of a young woman curling in on herself.

Blue eyes snap open as she gasps and her lungs fill with the cold night air. Her long lashes blink and flutter as she steadies her breath. Darkness gives way to a blur of dull color. Blobs of dark green sharpen into a forest canopy, starlight peeking between rustling leaves.

She springs up to a seat and examines her hand. A soft angled brow raises in thought. Her pink lips curve into a small smile.

"I'm alive!"

She delays her celebration and gives her left leg a hard punch and then looks at herself. Her smile widens to a grin even as she winces from the pain. She didn't dispel! She is alive!

"One last check." She brings her thumb to her lips and cuts into it with her canine. Her breath holds as she inches the thumb into her line of sight and sees… blood. She has blood! "Hell yeah! I'm awesome!"

She laughs. It took forever, but she is alive. She earned her existence into this world. Yeah, it isn't her world but isn't that why they made the gamble in the first place? For her to be unbound?

She shakes her head and clears her mind of the past. "I am unarmed, nude, broke," *_grumble_*, "and hungry. If I want to _continue_ the whole being alive thing, I gonna have to fix that first." She can celebrate her impossible accomplishment later.

She grabs hold of a nearby branch and steadies herself upright. A soft, serene smile settles on her face. She takes an unsure step forward, and falls with a yelp, the branch snapping under her weight. She glares at the sapling that caught her long blonde hair. With a harsh tug, she frees her golden locks and makes a second attempt.

On two feet, her arms stretch out beside her for balance. Her heart beats a steady rhythm and her lungs breathe the crisp night air. She takes small, slow steps forward on the soft grass. Shaky steps become a steady walk which turns into a speedy sprint. She leaps upward, but her attempt is short, and her face smacks against the branch.

"Owie." She rubs her sore bottom and pinches her red but not broken nose. She stands and glares at the offending tree and places her foot on its trunk. A frown spreads on her face when her foot slides down against the mossy surface. She steps back and places her palm against the tree. "No chakra." With her sudden limitations, she weighs her options. She settles for searching for high ground before she decides on her next move.

She weaves between and under branches, mindful of her hair. Her feet spend more time in the air than on grass and spongy earth. The first high ground she spots is a hill. She slows to a walk, half a mind to head back and explore elsewhere, but the Uzumaki are stubborn people. She is no exception, and she continues forward. A light resistance stops her just as she sees the strawberry farm below the hill. "A barrier."

She tilts her head and perks her ear in curiosity like a fox. The wind is off. It lacks turbulence the hill should have created. She takes a few sniffs. The sweet, fruity aroma overpowers most everything else, but it is... generic. "An illusion?" She presses her palms together and concentrates. "Release!" Nothing changes. "Oh, right. No chakra." That or her body doesn't know how to use chakra. Either way, she can't break the illusion by herself. There's no one else to disrupt her chakra flow with theirs through body contact. Her mind returns to the barrier.

Are the barrier and illusion related? If she breaks the barrier will the illusion falter as well? Her eyes roam the hillside. There are no signs of a seal array or device. She shrugs. "When in doubt, punch it!" She thrusts her right hand through the barrier with little resistance. This is either a weak barrier or it is not tuned to repel her. Can she adjust her form to something keyed to the barrier? Without chakra, she'd have to sacrifice body mass for the effort. Her physical shell is new and should still be malleable enough to make small changes.

She closes her eyes and focuses inward. After a while, she can sense her body shrink into adolescence. It is best to avoid aging down too much. These people could be hostile. She lets out a relieved sigh when she sees the barrier stop reacting and the illusion start fading.

She pulls her arm away and drops it to her side. "Wait, what?" She can feel a trickle of chakra in her system. It is minute, enough for simple techniques but not much else. She frowns. She did not intend to regain her chakra. Her form will stay malleable for a day if not a week. She looks down on her younger form. The trade off for more chakra is not worth further changes. Defending one's self as a teen is harder than as an adult, but it is much harder as a child. It's why she didn't change when she found out about her lack of chakra. "So, why?"

Her focus was on matching what the barrier would ignore. Is chakra flow needed to pass the barrier? Does this world have chakra? Her eyes drop to the structures below the hill. Perhaps someone inside can tell her about it.

She moves forward, but before she can go any further a cacophony echoes in the forest. In a distance, four figures burst out the tree line, three teens and a child. Monsters emerge from the foliage, nipping at their heels. Without hesitation, she bursts to a sprint down the hill. She won't sit on the sidelines and let a bunch of kids gets torn apart!

She spots a bat-winged creature swoop towards the tallest kid. "Dynamic Entry!" Her flying kick intercepts the attack. Before it can crash to the earth, she leaps off and ax kicks a large black dog before it leaps at the teen.

One of the four, a blonde teen moves beside her, holding a golf club in front of him like a sword. Another winged-beast flies at them. This time, the boy intercepts the creature by striking its head. The earth trembles as more large dogs emerge from the forest.

She grabs his shoulder and motions for him to pull back. She suspects the barrier is for things like these creatures. The goal is not victory but survival. "Come on. Time to retreat." He gives her a questioning look and speaks with words she does not understand. "Great." She tugs on his shoulder once again, and, with hesitation, he moves back before they break out in a mad dash.

They are almost passed the middle of the hill when the whooshing against the wind alerts her. She pushes the boy aside as a dog lunges to chomp at him. Its bite catches her right arm. In reflex, before it can think of dealing more damage, she slams her right knee to its throat forcing it to let her go. She then spin kicks the large dog away. She checks the injury and bites down a curse.

Her reduced chakra reserves, a drop in the ocean, hinders her style. It prevents her from using her signature attacks, the Kage Bunshin and Rasengan. Her female, underage, undertrained body is another issue. She is more of a high endurance, heavy hitter. Or rather she was. This body has less muscle than what she had before, and she doesn't have enough chakra to compensate for it.

She rolls forward as another bat-winged creature dives after her. It rears for another attack but struggles against the barrier, like a strong wind pushing it back. As she rights herself, she sees it making ground, inching in further. The barrier won't be enough.

Two of her new companions hold their ground beside her. They shout at their two other friends to either run to safety or call for help. Maybe they are saying both. They are telling her something too. They way they eye her injury tells her they think she should retreat too.

Her eyes harden with determination. She doesn't know who these kids are, but she won't abandon them whether they want her to or not.

She sees the flying creature prepare its second attempt to crash through the barrier. The two beside her move forward to intercept. They have the right idea. In the midst of the barrier is the best position to hold ground. The rustling of trees and howling from a distance tell of more coming soon. These kids and herself can't hold ground much longer.

She glances back behind her then focuses on her good arm. She gathers every drop of her chakra to her palm, but she can't draw enough to be visible. Her breath becomes heavier and heavier. She hopes that this is enough to both kill the monster and create a loud bang to call for reinforcements.

She sees the thing pass the barrier and dive straight for the girl. With the last of her strength, she leaps over the girl and slams down the invisible chakra ball. The last thing she hears is an ear shattering boom. White blinds her vision before unconsciousness takes her.


	2. 1002: Alias

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Alias|-

* * *

Chiron, a middle-aged white centaur with thinning brown hair, stares out from the deck. He ponders the events that transpired and the implications they bring. _A half-blood of the eldest gods. _Thalia Grace, a daughter of Zeus, had entered the camp along with her companions. _Shall reach sixteen against all odds._ Less than four years from now. _Olympus to preserve or raze._

Then there is the mystery guest asleep in the infirmary. She's not a demigod although she could pass off as one if he believes the three demigods and one satyr. Perhaps a legacy? Legacies are a second or further generation descendant of gods. Divine lineage gives special abilities but each generation diminishes in power. The scent that attracts monsters is relative to one's power. First generation descendants of the gods attend Camp Half-Blood as they are the most at risk. Legacies, compared to demigods, have little need of Camp Half-Blood's protection and training.

A loud exclamation inside the Big House interrupts his thoughts. The large, sky-blue house serves as the camp's main administrative building and infirmary. He enters the infirmary, and he quirks a brow at the scene. The girl is awake. She circles Argus with wide-eyed innocence. He takes an intentional, audible step forward before she pokes the hundred-eyed security guard.

Her attention snaps towards him and her eyes roam him with the same child-like wonder. Those bright blue eyes stop at his bow and quiver, quick enough for most other men to miss. A threat assessment? Even now her eyes dart every few seconds. If he were to give a guess, he'd say she is also assessing the room.

Then her eyes stop and look into his eyes. Her gaze is so deep, he wonders if she is looking at his soul. In the briefest of instances, his heart flutters as if afraid to fail a test of worth. His body stands straighter on its own as if to accept this challenge. Her face breaks into a wide smile and exclaims a loud greeting, and the spell lifts.

Or what was most likely a greeting. She seems to speak in an Asian language, likely Japanese. "Forgive me. I'm afraid I do not understand." She seems intuitive enough to get a gist of his meaning if the affirmative tone of her response is anything to go by. He gestures to himself, "My name is Chiron," then gestures to his left, "and that is Argus." She mouths the words 'Chiron' and 'Argus', almost whispered. Intuitive indeed.

He gestures to her. "And what may your name be, miss?" She opens her mouth as if to speak but stops midway. Her face scrunches up in thought, her hand to her chin. "Shee. No. Boo." The words come with uncertainty before she nods to herself. "Shinobu. Himura Shinobu." His eyes narrow at the alias. For what reason would she need one?


	3. 1003: Initiation

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Initiation|-

* * *

"New blood." His paternal half-siblings' chorus attracts his attention. The pair directs his gaze towards a young girl dressed in the orange camp shirt. The small blonde girl skips and hums beside Chiron as the centaur trots to the cabins. They look at each other with mischievous grins. They couldn't conduct their initiation ceremony to the last three demigods that entered the camp. The sons of Ares will save them for later. This new girl is their new target.

They stalk the pair for a while. Children of the war god prefer direct approaches, but the centaur's presence deters them. They don't delude themselves on their chances against Chiron, the legendary Trainer of Heroes. The trio waits until he leaves the girl with a son of Apollo near the hearth.

"They are going over… foreign poetry?"

He rolls his eyes at his companion's question. "What do you care?" The scrawny ones always overthink. "Let's grab her before Chiron comes back."

He moves from behind the marble statue, poor cover considering his size, into the open. His companions follow his example and march by his flank. As they approach, she stands up and turns to face them. She waves at them and smiles, giving them a loud greeting unintelligible to their ears. He stops in his tracks but continues forward when the boy beside her inches backwards. She raises a brow at her companion's distress.

"Whatever. Go!" They charge at her. He spreads his arms to his sides for a tackle, but she leaps over him. Her palms slap against his back. The corner of his eyes sees her flip continue and ends with a twist so she's facing them when she lands. They stop their face first fall into the hearth, but with don't escape minor burns. His fists clench not at the pain but at the smirk on her face.

The smallest of them darts forward, but he grabs him back. His two companions turn to him in confusion. A hint of a smirk edges at his frown. He returns his gaze at the girl bouncing on the balls of her feet, her fists out in front of her.

"I didn't expect the new girl to fight back." His smirk grows into a full grin. "This might be more fun than I expected." The large muscular teen steps forward. His two companions roll their eyes and give him the finger, but they stand aside.

"Sure. You can have this one." Despite their words, both are still ready to jump in if needed.

He cracks his knuckles and rolls his shoulders before holding out his hands in front of him.

The girl responds with a shout and a charge. He catches her right first with his left, but winces at her surprising power. "If you were a boy that might have hurt." His hand engulfs and tightens around hers. He blocks her high kick with his other arm. He uses the same arm to catch the offending leg in a hold between his arm and his rib. With hand and foot caught, he twists to the right and throws her in the air.

Instead of crashing on her ass, she continues her momentum into a flip and lands on her feet. His heart races with excitement. Despite her size and delicate features, her movements scream combat experience.

The girl frowns then sighs. To his surprise, her stance shifts. Her body faces to the right. She lifts her left arm forward and slides her right leg backwards, legs apart and her knees angled. Her right hand at stomach level. Her fists loosen to open palms.

A twinge of disappointment touches him, but he nods in respect to her acknowledgement. She cannot win in a battle of strength and brutality.

She speaks and motions with her left. Though he can't understand her words, they understand her gesture. _Come and get it._

Blood rushing through his veins, he accepts her invitation and charges. He swings his right fist forward, but her left pushes it by the elbow, forcing him aside with his own momentum. Before he can recover, her right strikes like a dagger. Pain explodes from his armpit, and he does not register her hammer fist to the back of his head.

He doesn't remember his fall. Grass obstructs his vision, but he can see her back turned away from him to the remaining two. She points to them. Her shouts penetrate the haze, but the numbness grabs him. He sees his companions smirk then charge before unconsciousness takes him.


	4. 1004: Headaches

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Headaches|-

* * *

When the young child returns to the Big House rather early with one black eye and a limp on her left leg, Chiron knows something has happened. When she gives a nervous laugh, her unbroken hand scratching the back of her head, he knows that something would be a headache to deal with. When the noise of other children approaching causes her to hide behind him, he knows that she is at the center of it all.

Indeed, seven from the Ares cabin are out cold. Though rumors say two were self-inflicted. Apparently, two had the bright idea that if they couldn't bring in the girl for her swirly, they could bring the swirly to her. They then proceeded to tear out one of the toilets. The plumbing sprayed out, they slipped, and knocked each other out with knees to their faces. The remaining five Cabin 5 members are most definitely her handiwork.

All seven from Cabin 5 have fractures. One lost his nose – which Shinobu regurgitates - and two suffer concussions.

The Cabin 11 member suffers from an unknown ailment.

Monsters injured three from the Hephaestus cabin during a patrol.

The young hyperactive blonde girl joins them in the Big House.

Sure enough, the children of Ares – the conscious ones – call for a rematch despite their injuries. The girl is not blameless as she accepts the issued challenge with gusto.

With the increased attacks on the camp, and the Great Prophecy looming overhead, the headache of dealing with such is simply one too many to add to his plate. In the end, Chiron gives a small prayer to Hermes, in part thanks to his acceptance policy and in part apology. The Hermes cabin always takes in those not accepted by the other cabins.

He does feel guilty for the girl as well. She needs rest and recovery, but the crowded Cabin 11 is still less rowdy than the Big House. He hopes none from Cabin 11 starts a fist fight with the injured girl, for their sakes.


	5. 1005: Luke

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Luke|-

* * *

Things settled down in less than a week though rumors linger for much longer. The prominent versions are opposites.

One version permeates thanks to its entertainment value. One of Aphrodite's beauties seduced a Cabin 5 member. This somehow drowned dozens in toilet water and let loose cannibals. Branches of the rumor added other strange or fantastical detail. The complete and utter absurdity in them astounds him.

The other version stays for its simplicity and believability. Two of Cabin 5 tried their initiation ceremony on the youngest of the three newest demigods. The daughter of Zeus zapped one, and a son of Hermes knocked the other out. This rumor took time to conjure up. It took a few days for Thalia to build up her reputation and for their peers to notice Luke's skill with a sword.

Confronting a few Cabin 5 members isn't a bad idea. He'd have to run it by Thalia. He is sure she'd be up to scaring off the children of Ares if she isn't too busy on patrol. Thalia is more overprotective of Annabeth than he is, and he is plenty overprotective.

He sets aside his plans for later and focuses on the sword he had just gotten from the armory behind him. He might as well try it out. If he wants to win a spar with Thalia, he needs a better weapon. He is winning more the last couple days, but that's because she is less trigger happy with the shocks as of late.

He frowns, not sure if that is a good thing. She is being more responsible with power – his arm can attest to her liberal use of it before. She is holding her own potential back.

Cheers from the arena break him from his musings. Inside, he sees four Cabin 5 members. Two pairs of boys and girls by the sidelines goad the two combatants at the center. The larger combatant wears full armor, with red plumed helmet, and holds a large shield and a long spear. The other is a small blonde teen.

And she is completely unarmed!

She holds a pose, legs far apart, left foot forward, torso bent forward. Both her palms are open and face the sky. Her left arm stretches forward in front of her pointing down. Her right arm stretches behind her pointing upwards. _What the-_

With an unspoken signal, the boy attacks and the girl defends. Her arms remain straight as they parry the spear with a circular motion. She turns to her left, circling him but the boy rushes forward and bashes her with the shield and knocks her down. She struggles back up and they resume. "What the hell?"

"What? Never seen a spar before, pretty boy?" Luke turns to the second largest – the largest being in the arena - of the group. The voice booms even without shouting. The teen doesn't even face Luke as he talks and keeps his focus on the fight. He has a square face and has a large scar over his nose. Are those teeth marks? Jeez. Maybe the rumors aren't that far off. Thalia's obsession with volunteering for patrol duty seems more and more reasonable.

"A spar? Looks more like a beat down to me." Not the fairest statement. The big guy in the ring does let the girl stand back up every time he downs her. They hadn't coerced her to this set-up. Still. That's the third time she's hit the ground, and he thinks he notices the beginnings of a limp with her left.

"Yeah. She's not got it yet. Whatever it is." Explains the teen. Luke raises a brow at that, a silent question. "Look. We think she's trying out something new. But whatever it is, she's not found it." Luke suppresses the urge to snark at the idea of one of them 'thinking' but now isn't the time. He isn't here to fight.

He returns his gaze the fight, fascinated by the strange spectacle. A few more exchanges occur but it's clear the large teen outmatches the unarmed girl. The spear's superior reach keeps her on the back foot. She dodges the blade, but a spear's length means great speed. She can't evade every strike. The spear speeds down to slice her, but she parries it with her hands. If her opponent isn't such a hulking brute, she could grab the spear.

This repeats, and her hands draw his eyes. At a glance, she is slapping the blade away. On closer inspection, she brings her palm to the flat of the blade and maneuvers, not strikes, the edge away.

While she intercepts the attacks, she takes steps forward. Her actions would null the range advantage, except her opponent is a son of the war god and is well versed in combat. Every step she takes, he either steps back or retracts the spear, maintaining distance.

The few times she closes the gap, she accomplishes nothing. She can't attack unarmed as a fist to the shield will just break her own bones. The shield itself isn't just defense as the large teen shows when he swings his arm. She dodges back but the spear thrusts after her. The one-two combo happens in less than a second. She parries, but the maneuver is hasty and imperfect. Blood drips from her palm, but for the first time in the match, she is in his guard. The giant's earlier swing and his spear extended from the thrust opened his left. She tries to close the distance to strike, but the larger teen brings his arms around and catches her in a bear hug.

"Is a shame." The younger son Ares sounds dejected. The young girl's right is free to punch, but it is futile that up close and with his armor. "Little spitfire's got spunk. Her old moves were in your face and wild. But her type? Can't take a hit. She can't block so she gotta dodge." Though it appears he spoke too early as the girl head-butts the large teen and frees herself from his hold. She falls flat on her ass stunned and bleeding. Bare skull to helmet isn't the smartest move. Still, the large teen looks dazed despite his head protection.

"Like he said, she's gut spunk." Though it doesn't seem like she'll be standing on her own for a while.

With the spar over, the four turn their heads to Luke, and he tenses. His right moves to reach for his sword in case they try anything, but the members of Cabin 5 show no aggression. They stand up and move to stand over the downed girl. "Better luck next time Goldilocks!" The dig at the girl and light kick to her side don't seem mean-spirited, a playful ribbing. It is odd seeing those known as the camp bullies act so chummy to the small girl.

"Here's the swirly that we owe you!" Or not. Together, they uncap their bottles and pour water over her face. Then again, the angry yelling the girl retorts with doesn't seem to have much bite in it. The group of boys just give boisterous chuckles in response as they leave. Plus, drinking water is far from toilet water… unless they drank toilet water. Luke shakes his head and decides to stop trying to make sense of crazy people.

He looks at the girl and his sword. Their spar lasted a while, and it enamored him so much he lost track of time. He doesn't have enough to practice so he might as well make the little time he has left productive.

As he moves towards the wet girl sprawled on the arena, he thinks back to the first time they visited her. She was out like a light in the infirmary. She had a cast for her shattered hand and bandages for her wounds... and her burns. Her leap towards the Kindly One coincided with Thalia's lightning strike. The result launched her ten feet into the air and set her hair on fire. The most probable root of Thalia's new restraint with lightning.

Next time they visited her, she was with Chiron in the big house. Chiron explained that they were just about to head to Cabin 11. She looked better than before. Her hair was even back to shoulder length. An act of kindness from a Cabin 7 member? Though it seemed like she is recovering from a fight. They said their thanks, and she seemed to understand their meaning well enough. Still, they didn't achieve much.

Luke Castellan has to admit he is curious and somewhat wants to get to know her better. It is difficult not to be curious about this... anomaly in the camp. The girl doesn't eat with them at the mess hall, and she doesn't take part in camp activities. She is loud and chatty but doesn't speak a lick of English or ancient Greek.

Though he doesn't know what good it would do him to approach the girl. He heard someone from Cabin 7 helps with her English, but it hasn't even been a month, too early to expect results. That is partly why he never made the initiative to meet her after the last meeting. His free time is rare. He'd rather spend it with his friends than seek out someone they'd only met for a night and can't speak to.

Lost in thought, he almost falls over when she accepts his extended hand, an unconscious offer to pull her up. The gentle laughter from her soft lips makes him think that isn't a complete accident. "Shinobu." She points to herself. "Himura Shinobu." She then points to him and waits for a response.

"Luke. Luke… Castellan" His own hesitance surprises himself, but it makes sense, right? He and his mom didn't end on the best terms, but… He shelves those thoughts aside as he catches her fall. She won't be able to stand on her own in her condition. He carries her by the shoulder though the height difference makes it awkward.

Then, his brain betrays him with memories of his first encounter with the girl. He whips his face away, ignoring her roars of laughter at his awkwardness.


	6. 1006: Interlude

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Dark Interlude|-

* * *

The Greek god of the dead and wealth sits on this throne brooding. Hades would be angry, perhaps furious, but that will just worsen his current headache.

First, his youngest brother, so-called King of Olympus betrayed their oath. After what Zeus attempted to Bianca and Nico then what he did to Maria! He has every right for retribution on Zeus' own!

His first attempt failed. Thalia Grace reached the safety of the camp. He still has monsters attempt attacks but killing her will cost him more than he is comfortable to lose. The camp is the safest place for demigods. More than its magical protection, Camp Half-Blood has an army of demigods. The satyrs and nymphs in the area further bolster the camp's defenses.

Olympus may not care for the Lord of the Dead, but divine politics still plays its part. He knows many view such retribution as justified. Few will oppose his attack on the girl herself, but a large-scale assault on the camp itself is a whole other matter. The death of so many of their children, most especially those they've claimed... He might as well declare war on Olympus itself and save himself the prelude.

News of an escape spread's Hades' army thin. Reports hint that the escape may come from beyond Tartarus, a foolish notion but one he can't dismiss. Even if his grudge pushes him to suicidal action, he will achieve nothing.

No, he will have to hold on to his anger and wait for her to leave the camp's protection. Who knows? She might receive a quest. His intellect draws up countless plans for the future.

Small scale attacks will continue against the camp. For one, to sate his anger. For another, he might get lucky. Above all, it keeps him in the loop on her condition and location. He doesn't want to miss an opportunity should it present itself.

He grasps onto thinning hope. As a child of one of the Big Three, she becomes more difficult to kill with each passing day.

All this on top of all the dead that continue to pour into his domain, straining his resources. How much has his kingdom swollen this past century alone? How many subdivisions has he opened? They call him 'The Rich One' yet his expenses continue to pile up. Security, traffic, staff, Charon. The list is endless, problems everywhere, and he has to attend to all them himself.

The summer season doesn't help. His gazes downcast on the smaller throne beside his, shaped like a black flower gilded with gold.

* * *

-|Bright Interlude|-

* * *

Unknown to the God of Light, he mirrors the brooding mood of the wielder of the Helm of Darkness.

Apollo's frown grows, his eyes off to the distance. Not the safest case while driving when crashing could end up scorching the earth… or worse. He has it handled! Crash? Pft. He has been driving the sun for a long time, even by a god's standards. He can drive the Sun Chariot, a glowing cherry-red Maserati, with his feet!

It's not like he is happy about his little distraction either. He glances at the small notebook he holds in his hand.

_Damn it! _He can't think of worse lines to bookend a prophecy. It's not like it's good news either way, but why does the last line have to be _that_?

The prophecy itself is odd too.

It started out a century ago, or was it two? He'd get bits and pieces of a prophecy as he raced across the sky. Those memories became foggy afterwards, just to add to the oddity. He knew it happened, but he couldn't force any form of coherence from his mind without focused effort. _Bizarre._

He assumes the whole affair is another detail Helios never shared about moving the sun about. The titan wasn't just prophetic. The All-seeing, All-hearing, and All-knowing is not a title given out willy-nilly.

Were the two linked? Did moving gave Helios' prophetic powers a boost? It kind of made sense. The titan liked to walk when engrossed in thought. Apollo does too to the annoyance of many.

It was fun at first, if he is honest with himself, and he is the God of Truth. This was new. He has had little new things to interest him this much for quite a while. Immortality caused him to settle into a routine. This fascinating mystery was what he needed to liven his century. But last week, it got personal.

"Arte."

He was hoping for it to end on a hopeful note, or a solution, a quest to give. But no. Why does it have to be - Whoa!

That glacial melt will need explaining, assuming Zeus doesn't blast his head off first. The old man still hasn't recovered from his hangover from the party he asked Dionysus to throw. Everyone knows it was for Thalia reaching Camp Half-Blood in one piece. His official declaration stated it was for the great angry sex he had with Hera. Hera's absence was thus not surprising as she had two reasons to not take part of the celebration. Yeah, it's obvious Zeus already got inebriated _before_ the party's announcement.

It was so bad he puked all over Artemis as she helped him back to his quarters. His little sis still thought to keep that embarrassment a secret from him. Ha! He'll leverage that into even more teasing for the both of them somehow.

His mischievous smile turns melancholic. He hopes there would always be a future where he can enjoy annoying both. His shoulders slump, and a bitter laugh escapes his lips.

"Little sis. Father."

He looks back down, tears the page to pieces, and sets the remains ablaze in the hottest heat he can muster. No one can know! If his sister found out… If Zeus even got a whiff of this… NO! Never!

Besides, hadn't Zeus escaped prophecy before? That was how they got Athena, right? Maybe the old man can pull a double. Or was he looking into it wrong? Prophecies were ambiguous, right?

The God of Light races through the sky as if to chase away the shadows of prophecy.

Unaware of the dark force that shadows him.

Unaware of the dark future ahead.

* * *

_Once per side of lightning_

_And once by the depth's king_

_The vow of three broken_

_..._

_Son delayed awaken_

_Mother's gift, protection_

_From father's objection_

_..._

_Underfoot, horned god dies_

_Son of earth shall arise_

_Bright light doused and darken_

_..._

_Maiden moon forsaken_

_ To dark side ever bound_

_Or lightning be uncrowned_


	7. 1007: Annabeth

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Annabeth|-

* * *

Annabeth Chase isn't sure what she hoped to achieve bringing the enigmatic teen to the Big House. She can't help it, though. Luke talks about the hyperactive blonde nonstop in the rare times they spent together. Heck, he talks more about her than he mopes about his father and the gods. In fairness, his gripe with the gods seems to have simmered down as of late, likely thanks to said blonde.

Annabeth wishes it was thanks to her or Thalia or Grover but she knows better. Too smart for her own good. If anything, Thalia would just encourage his grudge. The daughter of Zeus isn't too pleased with the gods either. She considers the monsters coming to camp a punishment for a crime she didn't commit. Besides, she is always on patrol.

Grover is busy. Thalia says the Council of Cloven Elders is dicking him around. Grover, he is a special case and thus they aren't sure what the right course of action is. Though his... _diplomatic_ stance might come from not risking his prospect of a searcher's license.

And herself...

She is too young, or rather they think she is too young. It is always the same. They smile and try to be strong for her when she wants to be the one to help them. But they don't need to. _The don't_! She is sure if they _just _let her, she can help.

But more and more, she finds herself with her books and with Chiron. The four of them are like family. They _are_ family! But, little by little, they drift apart. Annabeth is helpless, unable to do anything as it crumbles before her, day by day.

Annabeth yelps as strong arms lift her into a bone crushing hug and startle her from her thoughts. It seems her companion sensed her mood. She admits it is a nice gesture. The blonde even whispers words of comfort – she can only assume - and pats her head. Her off depressing thoughts wither in the face of such kindness... and lack of oxygen. She doesn't want to die of crushed ribs!

She squirms and scours for something, _anything_. "Hey!" Her loud exclamation grabs her captor's attention. Annabeth immediately points to the chess board on the floor. The arms of death release her from their embrace, and the earth receives Athena's pride. Shinobu lets her go, and she drops to the grass with a thud.

Annabeth gasps and pants on the ground then gets up and rubs her sore bottom. She worries that this is a bad idea. _Nah_. She just needs to have a better strategy ready next time. She had other plans, but they never came to ahead. It was difficult. Cabin 5 still prowls for the young daughter of Athena despite Thalia and Luke's warnings. But she didn't want to confront the teen while she was with Luke.

With so little opportunities, she took her chance when she saw the teen near the armory.

Annabeth sits by one side of the board and gestures for Shinobu to sit by hers. The blue-eyed blonde shouts her affirmative and drops to a cross-legged position. Annabeth refrains from berating the girl - _The older blonde doesn't have to be so loud! She is right here!_ \- and is just glad that the older girl is adept at taking in non-verbal cues.

Annabeth reaches forward and arranges the pieces on the board. Shinobu studies her actions. As she sets down her pawns, Annabeth ponders how to teach the game without words.

A demonstration is a good starting point. She turns the board sideways and plays a game with herself. She exaggerates her actions and shows every possible move for each piece before she commits to a move. It is a lot harder than she first thought, and she finds her respect for Chiron grow each second. Teaching is tough.

She looks at the older girl and stops herself from releasing a sigh as said girl fidgets in her seat. She gets the impression this will take forever.

-|Too Long|-

Chiron returns to the deck before sunset. There, he finds a young Annabeth sitting on the floor, head in her hands, muttering to herself. "What seems to be the problem?" She seems startled at his voice and seems to miss his inquiry. "You seem troubled." He glances at the chess board laid before her. "Lost to someone?"

She shakes her head in reply. "Won three to zero. Four if you count the first." She doesn't. That involved her correcting some of Shinobu's moves. Perhaps chess wasn't the best idea considering its rules, like castling and en passant. Checkers might have been a better choice to start with.

Chiron sits across from her and arranges the pieces to their place. She gave no protest and arranges her own pieces. Perhaps a game will help clear her mind. "Well?" Chiron prods. He has to admit, he is curious of what troubled the young child. The teacher in him loves her as a pupil, smart but still so eager to learn. A thirst for knowledge is not uncommon for a child of Athena, but it radiates from young Annabeth.

She picks up a pawn but keeps it hovered in the air, indecisive. Unusual. She isn't the type to linger on an opening, having usually had a plan of attack before a game even begins. She places it back to its original position and moves another pawn forward instead. "Six if you count the last three." Her words a mumbled whisper.

So she _did_ lose a round. He voices his observation, but she shakes her head again. "They _don't_ count. They shouldn't." He raises a brow at that. "They weren't chess." He doesn't hurry her. She seems lost in thought, taking her time with each move.

It is five moves later that she expounds her statement. "For the last three, she rearranged the pieces for each and took away some in the last one." Ah. He sees how that led to defeat for the daughter of Athena. Changes to the board meant the young demigod could not rely on pre-planned routes. It must have thrown her off her game.

"She?" He asks, interested to know who had befuddled her so. She isn't one to make friends in short time frame. To have played seven rounds with someone might mean a bond or the beginnings of one.

"Shinobu." She frowns. "I taught her to play. It took a while but seemed to get it well enough. She got bored with it though and that's when she made the changes." The child picks up her king and scrutinizes it. "She sucked…" The pause told him there was a 'but' coming. "It's weird. I took too long. She was awful, but she made me take so long."

"She made you… take too long?" The confusion shows in his voice but he can also see it confuses her as well. It seems that she's trying to find the right words for her thoughts but they elude her. "Perhaps, Miss Chase, you could invite her over for another game." His does not vocalize his intent to study the interaction, but it is rather obvious for her. Though she doesn't know why he's so interested.

She gives him a small nod before conceding her king. It is still three moves away, but she can already see the impending checkmate.


	8. 1008: Thalia

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Thalia|-

* * *

Annabeth doesn't get her rematch with Shinobu the next day.

Before the night ended, Annabeth met up with Thalia as she returned to her cabin. Annabeth talked to the leather clad daughter of Zeus about her day. That included her afternoon with Shinobu.

The enigmatic blonde caught the interest of two of her closest friends. Thalia decided it is her turn to have a little one on one, and Thalia isn't much for chess.

Thalia chose this time, when Luke is on patrol, to have this little spar despite Anna's protest – she had dibs! – against it.

Annabeth and Grover sit in the arena waiting for the match between Thalia and Shinobu to start. Spectating is a way to spend time together. Plus, Thalia promised to catch up with Grover and Annabeth after the spar. She will also help Annabeth with her dagger training after Grover leaves. He has a meeting with the Council of Cloven Elders, aka "Council of Grouchy Old Goats".

It is also probably a good idea to have an extra set of hands, even Annabeth's small and Grover's clumsy ones, in case someone got hurt. It seems Thalia wants this to be a "real battle and not some game with toy swords", as Thalia worded it. Indeed, Thalia is in full armor and brought her collapsible spear with her. She hasn't brought out Aegis yet, though, still collapsed as her metal bracelet.

Unfortunately, it seems Shinobu didn't get the memo, jumping from foot to foot with no armor and a pair of short wooden swords by her hands. "Hey, birdbrain! Suit up already so I can pound you to cow chow!" Wow. It seemed like Thalia was in a grumpy mood today.

"Uhm, Thalia. Sh-she doesn't speak English, re-remember?" Grover tries to reason, but Thalia glares at him – still frightening despite the bags under her eyes - and he gives a small bleat and shrinks into his seat. Still, it seems Thalia isn't completely unreasonable today, and she tries a different approach. She points to her own weapon and her armor, trying to communicate to her opponent this is not an ordinary spar.

The girl gives a nod in return and gestures to her camp shirt, denim shorts, sandals, and wooden weapons. Thalia raises her arms in frustration before readying her spear. "Fine! It's your funeral!" She gestures with her right. "Come get yours!" A strange move considering Thalia isn't much for defense these days. She's often eager to charge her opponents and end the match fast.

Her opponent raises a brow, copies the gesture, and taunts Thalia to attack instead. The threadbare patience that Thalia has snaps, and she runs towards Shinobu with a battle cry. Before she reaches the blonde, Thalia expands Aegis with all its horrifying glory and attempts to use it in a bash.

Shinobu dodges to Thalia's left and stabs her right sword toward Thalia's arm as close to the shoulder she can strike not protected by armor. Thalia grits her teeth, refusing to cry out, and turns with her spear to force Shinobu back but the shorter girl's left sword blocks the swing. "An interesting plan by Miss Grace." Chiron's voice draws the immediate attention of the only two audiences.

The girl and satyr look at him questioningly. Why is he here? And Thalia has a plan? "Since I cannot observe the match of chess we planned yesterday, took the chance to observe this match instead." He has another reason but that can wait. Annabeth nods at his response, but the look on her face tells Chiron she wishes him to answer the other unspoken question. His lips edge a smile at her interest. Like mother like daughter.

"It appears Miss Grace hoped her copy of Aegis' fear-inducing aura and the surprise of its sudden appearance would stun her opponent and provide an opening." Indeed, even at this distance, the shield's effects touches them. Chiron frowns in thought. That also means the shield's effects either doesn't affect or doesn't hinder Miss Himura.

It was a great use of the shield's frightening aura to create an opening for a quick finish. Something that can be used both defensively and offensively. Though it backfired. Her opponent didn't react the way she expected and left herself open to a counter attack. The child of Zeus is now handicapped in this fight. The injury slows her defense and weakens it too as seen on the fight below. Still. "It was a commendable plan."

Thalia is now on the defensive as Shinobu bombards her with her wooden swords. Thalia can block Shinobu's strikes, but the small girl puts force behind her blows. Each block aggravates heavily bruised muscle. The Medusa imprint's raised design means strikes don't glance off the shield. Thus, more of the force transfers to the shield and consequently, Thalia's arm.

The different angles of smaller girl's attacks force Thalia to move her shield continuously. The large shield's weight amplifies the pain with each move. She can't retaliate with her spear. The unarmoured girl uses her better mobility and parries with one sword while attacking with the other.

In desperation, Thalia channels electricity to her shield, little sparks flying from its edge. That piqued Chiron and Annabeth's interest. From what they'd heard, Thalia was reluctant to put her electrokinesis to use after the little accident on the hill. Nothing to be concerned over but still something Chiron hopes the girl will overcome sooner rather than later. He is glad this spar is speeding up the process.

Not that it does her much good in this fight. Wooden swords are poor conductors. Chiron wonders if that has been the Shinobu's reason for them all along. It isn't because of her skill with the double swords. The way she moves is… flawed.

Once or twice she swings at Thalia's legs. A quick back step dodges such attacks. The low angle of attack shortens the blade's horizontal reach. Once or twice she does not take an opening when she is quick to make use of most other similar openings.

By his guess, she favors smaller blades, daggers perhaps. It would explain why she doesn't make beginner mistakes but doesn't use either swords' full length. She'll sometimes underestimate and sometimes overestimate both blades' reach.

Chiron is in full lecture mode though he keeps his speculations to himself. It is refreshing to give a more personal lecture for a change.

Thalia grits her teeth in pain as she swings her shield and forces Shinobu away. This allows her to position her spear defensively. Her shield collapses away. She keeps her spear pointed at Shinobu, keeping her at a distance.

Despite her injury, she still has an advantage. Spears trump swords in an open field. Longer range, greater versatility as it can be pulled back for short ranged engagements, and superior leverage made it a great primary weapon. Better yet, those wooden swords are not in the league to cut at her Celestial Bronze spear's shaft. And her electrokinesis makes grabbing her weapon risky.

Thalia appears to be drawing the same conclusion if the smirk on her face is anything to go by. The spear wielder inches forward, becoming more the aggressor rather than the defender. It starts slow, a simple thrust that Ms. Himura evades, but it escalates into a flurry of metal.

The spar is a great match to view. It shows off some of the blonde's dexterity and speed and the daughter of Zeus mastery with the spear. "I hope this match shows you the advantage of longer range and gives you ideas on reducing the disadvantage of a shorter range." Annabeth frowns but nods. Chiron is obviously talking about her daggers. Perhaps it is time to complement them with something with more reach.

Chiron lectures Annabeth on sword versus spear, stopping once to acknowledge Grover leaving early. Thalia's confidence swells as she forces Shinobu back. Her left arm still hurts and using the spear two-handed doesn't help, but it is manageable. Her right does most of the work anyway.

She isn't too overconfident to give away her lead by charging in like a brute. No. She's had this song and dance with Luke before. Yes, this pace is just fine for her.

She has to say, she is enjoying this fight. At first, she just wanted to vent out a little. Looking back, she might have felt a bit guilty afterward if Shinobu got knocked out by her opening surprise shield to the face. It's the kind of act she'd hate the gods for. They dish out their anger at mortals because they cannot inflict their wrath on each other.

It's not blonde's fault to be drawn to Luke. Half the girls at the camp think well of him and she knows that will just continue to grow. Luke is handsome when he isn't brooding – many would argue he was handsome then as well – and he doesn't brood much outside his three, now four, friends. Heck, she is almost certain Annabeth is developing an innocent first crush on her supposed brother figure. Overblown admiration, Thalia tells herself.

She's a bit lost in thought, but not enough to be unable to dodge the wooden sword as it flies straight at her. It is not a great projectile, the wood too light and not as balanced as a real sword. She keeps her spear pointed at the blonde to prevent her from capitalizing at all on the attack. But it is obvious none would come as the blonde backs away from Thalia.

Shinobu unarms herself and holsters her wooden sword in her pants. Thalia's first immediate assumption is surrender. When she lifts her right foot towards herself and unstraps her sandals, realization dawns. Thalia's thoughts are confirmed when Shinobu repeats the process with her other foot and finally ends up with each hand wearing footwear.

They are there to protect her hands no doubt. But surely the swords would parry her spear just as well if not better thanks to their extended reach. Nonetheless, such a deliberate act makes Thalia weary.

Shinobu settles into a stance; left side forward, left hand forward at shoulder height, right hand low at stomach level, legs apart and knees slightly bent. The same one she used on her first encounter with the cabin 6 members if Chiron remembered what he heard from them was correct.

Shinobu's feet slide a few inches this way and that. Chiron can already tell this is not a familiar stance for the girl to use. An impromptu one she is still settling details in. Shinobu rushes forward. Thalia thrusts and swings to hold the blonde at bay the moment she comes in range. But Shinobu continues forward, dodging most and parrying those that she couldn't.

Thalia grits her teeth as Shinobu forces her to move backward lest she let Shinobu close the distance. Shinobu doesn't move straight towards her but sort of zigzags forcing some zigzagging on Thalia's part as well. Her mind is a whirl in thought why that might be when her footing slips, a wooden sword under her left leg. The opening is small but Shinobu takes it and rushes forward. Thalia yanks her spear back in time to swat a projectile footwear headed towards her head. Shinobu's left sandaled hand pushes and adds to the swing's momentum, further opening Thalia to the recently drawn sword about to strike her head.

Out of pure reflex, Thalia's charm bracelet expands into her copy of Aegis, knocking the sword and sending it flying away. Before Thalia can capitalize on the opening, Shinobu is already low and sweeps Thalia off her feet. Thalia doesn't register the fall and the new weight on top of her until she feels two soft taps at the side of her neck.

And just as quickly, Shinobu was already off of her, standing up and offering her a hand up. Part of Thalia is mad at the loss. But she isn't so petty to not take the hand. *Zap* Thalia chuckles at Shinobu's yelp. Okay, she can be a bit petty. She'll blame that one on hanging out too much with Luke. He may not like his father but he is like his brothers in many ways.

Introspectively, Thalia realizes she is taking this loss a lot better than usual. But looking at the blonde pulling down her eyelid and giving her a raspberry, Thalia finds herself chuckling and outright laughing when said blonde gives her a childish pout.

She had forgotten. When was the last time she laughed?

Her good mood drains when she hears the clopping of hooves behind her. She turns to face Chiron, not registering Annabeth running to hug her. She was hoping for some R&amp;R first but that was because she assumed the 'spar' would be a one hit KO. "Ms. Grace." Chiron does not need to say more.

It was time for a Senior Council.


	9. 1009: Council

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Council|-

* * *

The Head Counselors hold Senior Counsels around a ping-pong table in the Big House. The recreation room is rather sparse considering the gravity of such meetings. Grave is an apt word for today's topics.

There is a brief discussion about Capture the Flag. They held it every Friday but not as of late. A game would raise morale, but it is too risky. Injuries are not uncommon in these games.

The monsters attacks mean demand for manpower is high. Though none have died, many campers already suffer from the dangers of border patrol. High risk of injuries is the reason training became more theoretical than practical. The sparring mishaps are too high a cost to justify. Not that it stopped members of Cabin 5 from taking to the arena on their spare time.

Speaking of Cabin 5, the children of Ares are in highest demand for patrols. Those from Hephaestus cabin are a close second. This somehow spiraled into an unspoken competition between the two cabins. The riskier the job they took, the more those cabin members demanded from everyone else. Most counselors demand reduced chores for their own members. This means more chores for everyone else.

Others question the Aphrodite cabin's contribution as they took part of combat the least. The counselor of Cabin 10 retorts that her members do the important service of keeping spirits up.

The counselor of the Apollo cabin complains about his overworked members. His members are taking part in patrols. They also serve as the bulk of the camp's medical staff, another position with rising demand. He claims everyone neglects the position's due credit for being a non-combat task.

The whole affair takes hours. They concede to compromises, but the topic will arise again in future meetings. Left unspoken is the topic of the head counselor and single member of the Zeus cabin.

Everyone knows the increased attacks are for her. At first, many campers had held that against her. Why do they have to suffer for her existence? For a grudge none of them are a part of.

Such thoughts become harder and harder to keep as the daughter of Zeus spends as much time she can on duty. As an individual, she is the one camper doing the most against the attacks.

None question Cabin 1's contribution, but neither do they acknowledge it. Eyes move to her but dart away. She sits there, alone in the crowded room.

Fortunately or unfortunately, her isolation would not last. The final topic is at hand. Silenus, a satyr and member of the Council of Cloven Elders, steers the conversation. It is the second purpose of his inclusion here after all.

His first agenda is informing everyone the status of the satyrs. They helped with patrols as well. The accumulation of monsters makes sending out protectors and bringing in demigods difficult. Rough news when manpower is premium. Satyrs on patrols mean satyrs not growing strawberries, the camp's main source of income. This is disastrous as the danger of attacks on deliveries is at an all-time high. A few days ago, a monster had gotten deep in the camp and ruined a large patch of strawberries being grown.

And the topic at hand? the other purpose?

A quest.

The attacks stretch the camp thin. The thought of losing manpower to journey for a quest leaves a bitter taste for everyone. Not to mention how much riskier leaving camp is with the increased monsters activity.

Then again, a successful quest could bring back a means to protect the camp. A successful quest could raise morale, another resource they are low on.

All eyes land on Thalia, and this time, they stayed on her. A quest is already dangerous by itself but more so for her. Conflicted as their opinions are, they are not as heartless. They can't force Thalia to take part of this quest, to force her to something akin a suicide mission.

But if she, the monsters' main target, takes a quest, it'll draw most the attackers away from camp. It could give the camp a much-needed reprieve, give them time to recuperate and bolster their defense. Silenus suggests that demigods leaving for a quest might serve as a distraction. It could give the satyrs a safer opening to venture out of camp, likely his main reason.

The risks are high, but not taking one might be an even worse decision to take.

Before anyone else can steer the topic away from her, Thalia stands up and…

* * *

-|AN|-

* * *

Reviews! Did you like it? Did you hate it? Both are perfectly valid so feel free to voice your opinions. Whether if it's a simply, "I liked this", or an incredibly blunt criticism of my work, **all are welcome**. Heck, feel free to grammar Nazi your way along.

Like I said, in the summary, this is creative writing practice so I'm open to all input from my readers.


	10. 1010: Prophecy

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Prophecy|-

* * *

Whatever she said yesterday is a blank to her. She can't even remember visiting the oracle. It is a blur, only the prophecy's words left clear in her memory.

_You shall be the lone demigod to take this quest_

_You may earn a pardon through twelve tasks as a test_

_At death's entrance, the heroine to bid farewells_

_Thorny walls and fiery towers to toll their bells_

And now she stands with two strangers probably heading out to their deaths. No! She can't think like that. It is just like Chiron said. If you go to battle expecting defeat, defeat might decide to answer your call. Better to stay as positive as she can. Besides prophecies are ambiguous, right?

That's why she will have companions in this quest despite the _"you shall be lone"_ line. It said '_lone demigod_' so a satyr and a legacy going with her _technically_ went with the prophecy.

She doesn't know what to think of her companions, Gleeson Hedge and Shinobu. They aren't her first choice but then again, she doesn't know of anyone else she can take with her.

The Coven Elders are keeping Grover busy as usual as they are of two minds on giving him his searcher's license.

On one hand, he had fulfilled his duty and got her into camp. On the other, they debated whether his involvement had been of actual help or hindrance. Grover himself admitted that it was his fault. He claims he kept making wrong turns, and he compromised in protecting her by taking two others along. The stupid goat needs to grow a backbone. He shouldn't have to take blame for Luke's bruised ego!

There is also the fact that he is rather young. Among the youngest, if not the youngest, searcher if he had gotten his license as far as she knew.

The eventual conclusion is Grover would get his license after four years. It is unorthodox, but the council considered the entire situation unorthodox. They say it is also to give him time to prepare for the journey. Bah. If you asked her, it is to give him time to screw up and give them a reason to deny him.

Either way, he is stuck at camp trying to be helpful as possible.

Luke got injured on patrol today and Annabeth is too young. Everyone else isn't quite sure how to feel about her and she doesn't want bad blood to impede the quest.

Gleeson Hedge is the only satyr available according to Silenus. Everyone else had strawberry duty or are to head out as protectors and searchers. Shinobu Himura is the only legacy at camp.

Oh! And that last farewells and dying part could _totally _mean a hundred different things! _Riiight_. And Hera is about to become her patron. She snorted. Hera. That twelve labors thing is making her think that this is all the goddess' doing. Who knows, maybe she bribed Apollo to send her out to her death.

Great. Now she sounded like Luke. Yeah, she isn't the fan of the gods but at least she doesn't sit and moan about it like he does – thankfully less so now, but still. She went out and did something about her situation, hence her insistence on being a part of patrols. Yeah, it raised her rep and, yeah, it gave her opportunities to take out her anger at something or another. But more than anything else, it gave her some control over her life. Monster hunting was something she could actively do.

The exact reasons she will face this quest head on! If she is going down, she is going down swinging!

Still. She can't shake the grim thoughts from her head. The likelihood that this quest would kill her. Really, it is the reason she doesn't want her friends involved. It was why she didn't tell them she had a quest. She decided to leave early without telling anyone other than her companions and Chiron. News would spread soon.

The centaur showed his disapproval but was kind enough to honor her request.

She couldn't bear to say goodbye. It was too final, too real. Worse, her friends might just be able to convince her to abandon the quest altogether.

Though it seems Shinobu doesn't have such reservations. She waves goodbye to two sons of Apollo, who gave her a book, and one son of Hephaestus, who gave her weapons and the leather straps to carry them.

For a moment, she feels guilt at placing the blonde in danger. The blonde can't understand the situation nor the risks involved. She considers if perhaps it is best she does this alone. Why put anyone else at risk?

But she sees the determined glint in their eyes when they regard her, brief as it may be. She knows they won't back down if she told them to.

They are too stubborn for their own good.

Just like her.

What a sorry lot they made.

Without a word, they get in the van, Argus in the driver seat and her riding shotgun. Better get this show on the road!

"Goodbye…"


	11. 1011: Exit

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Exit|-

* * *

They exit camp at full throttle. As soon as the van leaves the barrier, the monsters in the forest run at their direction. Monsters arrive one after the other. They dive, bite, and claw, missing their target by inches.

The three give Argus props for navigating the rough terrain at such high speeds. The eyes all over his body make the bumpy ride even more uncomfortable. Ouch.

They relax once they reach the highway and no longer see monsters at their trail. Thalia and Gleeson slump into their seats, grateful for the moment of peace. Uncharacteristic but understandable. Gleeson just got back from a failed attempt to leave camp yesterday. The back to back patrol duty and pressure from her peers took a toll on Thalia. Heh. Maybe an excuse she can use for her loss in that spar. She also did not sleep last night as they needed to leave early. That they are on what many campers consider a futile quest wore down on them too.

Shinobu doesn't share in her companions' plight. She sticks her head out the window, taking in the sights and sounds with wide eyes and a wide grin. It has been a long time since she's traveled near this speed so she is enjoying the wind in her face a great deal. Besides, this is a novel experience for her.

This vehicle and the road? There is almost nothing like this in the Elemental Nations.

Travel, especially long distance travel, is rare due to how dangerous it is. Most civilians stay in place in the relative safety of their borders. Few travelers mean low demand for low demand for technological innovation for transport.

She should enjoy her time in this peaceful world. Just watching the kids at camp act like children should have been enough confirmation for her. How slow the pace of their lives is.

To the Elemental Nations, peace is a luxury. Her generation is the luckiest in that regard, but that just proves her point. The horrors of war still mar the most peaceful generation she knows.

Heck, Kakashi-sensei is only 14 years older than her and he grew up during the Third Ninja World War. It is no surprise he is a nutcase. She may have sucked at the academy, but '_ninja_' means there were '_non_-ninja' world wars. It isn't just the Sharingan no Kakashi that has his quirks either. Most of his peers either have their share of idiosyncrasies or are flat-out crazy people.

As strange as they were, these people in this world are nowhere near _that_ level of insanity.

It is nice, not steeped in warfare. A shriek echoes in the distance and Shinobu bursts into a grin and cracks her knuckles. But not too peaceful to be boring.

Thalia and Gleeson straighten up, "A Kindly One!"

Argus slams on the accelerator but the van doesn't comply. The van isn't in best conditions. The attacks on camp have left maintenance of non-combat relevant objects in low priority. Thalia's change in schedule didn't leave time for a checkup either. There is no running from this fight.

It seems Shinobu has the same conclusion. She grabs one of her swords, opens the door, and in one motion, leaps out and lands on the van's roof. Before Thalia can protest, Gleeson takes the blonde's lead, though with much less grace. He clambers up to the top of the swerving vehicle, metal baseball bat in hand. "I'm not leaving all the action to the runt!"

Thalia suppresses a scream of frustration. How did she end up being the level-headed one? She is about to suggest for Argus to stop the vehicle when she sees a pair of hellhounds leap out from the van's shadow. The only reason they aren't on them now is that the van was moving too fast to attack. She hopes they'll tire out, but that's for later.

Of course, it gets worse. "All three of them?!" She sees two others at a distance ahead of the car. The first is already giving the two up top trouble. Its fiery whip out range sword and bat. The two's footing isn't exactly great. The van veers right and left to avoid other vehicles on the road.

Thalia opens her window and moves so that her upper torso is outside the van. She holds out her hands towards the two-winged monsters at a distance. She focuses on willing lightning to swat them out the sky. A flash and the clapping of thunder but neither fall. A miss. Thalia curses under her breath. Why hadn't she taken up Annabeth's and Luke's offer to practice back at camp?

Meanwhile, the Kindly One is doing a superb job at keeping her distance. She drops down to the height of the van and attempts to lash out at their feet. She might not even need the help of her sisters. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind when the unthinkable happens. The blond girl leaps from the van and stabs her through the heart.

The blade is not of Celestial Bronze, but the sword's long and narrow pierces through with ease. Before the monster can react, the blonde's feet crash into her, using its body as a platform to leap back on to the van. The kick collapses its chest and throws it to the concrete road before another vehicle runs over it.

Gleeson looks at his companion with a twinge of stunned amazement. It all felt like minutes, but he is sure it happened in less than a second. The blond gives him a thumbs up and a sparkling wide grin.

A flash and a thunderous boom, the lightning striking closer, interrupts the moment. They turn in time to witness the victim fall from the sky and explode into golden dust before it hits the ground. Thalia's celebration over her feat drowned out by the wind rushing past their faces.

The last remaining monster hesitates before retreating.

…

"Hey! Come back you coward!"

Argus and Thalia roll their eyes at the satyr's indignant outrage. With their luck, there will be plenty monsters for everyone. She closes her eyes, tired. Summoning two lightning bolts at that distance is taxing. She is just glad it was cloudy today.

Shinobu for her part sits atop the van still grinning. Yup! Definitely not boring.


	12. 1012: Direction

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Direction|-

* * *

It is only after they get out of the van and into the bus that Thalia realizes just how vague the prophecy is. It doesn't even have instructions in which direction they should take. A hectic, monster-filled ride exiting camp tends to make one miss such details.

She supposes since the oracle prophesied it she'll get to her destination no matter what. Still, she isn't about to wait and let the prophecy happen all by itself.

So, Hera. Yup. Better to get it over with and see what twelve labors she has to endure. Should they go up the Empire State and meet her in person? Somehow, that doesn't seem right to her. Still, it isn't like they have any other lead.

Traveling to the Empire State Building is easy enough. Chiron was kind enough to give them enough money for public transport.

It is amusing to watch Shinobu skip around enamored with everything around her. Her simple ponytail bounces with each hop. The weapon in plain sight and a handkerchief covering the lower part of her face is a strange sight. "Cities stink, but she'll get used to it," Gleeson assures her.

The blonde wears leather straps over an oversized, Camp Half-Blood shirt. Two straps go vertical over her shoulders and connect with another that acts as a belt. On the left and right of her waist are swords in their sheathes. She has blades holstered under each armpit as well. Eleven more daggers are behind her back. Four on each vertical strap and three along the belt behind her back. Her loose, dark-blue denim pants hide her shin guards.

With her metal forearm guards and Gleeson's bat and a bag of tin cans, Thalia carries the least amount of metal in the group. Another first to add to the list.

The only ones that went out with more gear she knows of are from the Hephaestus cabin. They carry a myriad of tools to tinker with. The Ares cabin might too, but as far as Thalia knows they often have a favorite and they'll bring.

She wonders what the Mist shows the people looking at Shinobu. The force keeps mortal's from seeing the supernatural, but does it hide anything at all? The blades aren't Celestial Bronze nor are they magical.

Once they arrive, Thalia glances at her companions. She convinces Hedge to stay while she goes up to see if she could meet Hera. She gives the instructions of keeping their other companion out of trouble. The satyr gives the demigod props for taking the direct approach and for the courage to go about it alone. That doesn't mean he is keen on Thalia leaving him behind.

But it's not like having all three of them there would achieve much more than her going in alone. Diplomacy isn't one of his fortes, and Hera isn't known for speaking Japanese as far as he's heard of at least. It makes sense. Aphrodite speaks French, as it is the language of love. Japanese isn't the language of familial love, marriage, motherhood, or women.

It doesn't make spending time, doing nothing with someone he can't talk to any less boring. He decides that they should take a short walk and "guard the perimeter". This is New York. There is always a good fight around to find.


	13. 1013: Fourth

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Fourth|-

* * *

The time they spent walking has resulted in no excitement so far. Shinobu busies herself by trying to draw charka. From Gleeson's perspective, the kid looks like she is trying to break her fingers. She squeezes both her right pointing and middle finger tight as they walk. It doesn't' look like she lost her awareness of her surroundings. She stops before crossings and she is not bumping into anyone along the way, so he didn't bother her about it. She is at least occupying herself.

Him, though? He feels bored. He is already leading them towards the seedier parts of the city he remembered. It's been a while but city couldn't have changed that much… he thinks. He is beginning to doubt himself on that. About an hour and not a peep. Not even as simple pickpocketing that he can spot.

Yet his nose tells him there are monsters about. Wherever they are, they are close. Sure enough, sounds of a fight become audible. He pulls the girl along by the hand. She keeps up with his speed, and she surprises him when she pulls ahead besides him. He realizes that his companion has picked up on it, no longer needing to be lead to their destination.

They come into a small park to the scene of a middle-aged man against two Scythian dracanae and a minotaur. He seems to fare well. The half bull pins one of the Scythian dracanae to a tree between its horns. The man keeps the other humanoid females with twin serpent trunks instead of legs at bay with his sword.

Well, that isn't about to stop him from joining the fun. He already missed his chance once. The girl rushes towards the tree bound duo, no doubt to finish them before they could become a threat again. He instead turns his focus on the one busy defending with her shield. With her back to him, he drops his heavy bag and takes the opening and rushes with his metal bat.

It seems serpentine woman isn't too distracted as her tails attempt to sweep the satyr off his feet. Hedge slams his bat down onto it, getting a hiss out of her. With defeat inevitable, she swings her spear wide then flees as they avoid the strike. Gleeson isn't about to have any more of that today. "Coward!"

He runs back to his dropped bag, reaches in, and brings a tin can to hand. He gives it a slight upward toss and then strikes it with his bat sending it speeding towards its target. "Batter up!" Cliché, but the crushed can finds its mark at the base of her neck and kills the monster in an instant.

With the excitement over Gleeson turned to his companion. She scowls at the slight bend near her sword's tip. No doubt either caused by the minotaur's thick hide, its struggling, or both. Finally, they look at the man they rescued – actually he didn't need rescuing – who in turn regards them. "A satyr and may I assume that you are a demigod?"

Shinobu begins her reply, but Gleeson interrupts her. "Actually, she's a legacy, and she doesn't speak English." The girl pouts. She memorized and practiced the line all week to say she doesn't know English. It's always a surprise how much she can understand.

The man pauses as if to consider those words. "A legacy." The man looks to be in his late forties, maybe older, with his graying hair. "I did not think Camp Half-Blood change their policy." Ah. So he is familiar with the camp. Likely a demigod. It would explain why the monster attacked him.

"You were a camper?" The man replies his affirmative. He explains that he had long since stopped attending as he is more than capable of tending to his own needs. He does not need the camp's protection as showcased by how well he fared in the earlier encounter. "You don't smell like one." Not quite correct. He can smell the man fine now, but it is weak as if the man had popped up out of the ground or off the sewers. Even traveling here by vehicle should have left a much stronger scent in the vicinity.

"Yes. I've tried to stay under the radar for a while now and I've attempted many means of staying that way." A spell or artifact perhaps? Either way, it helps explain why the satyr didn't sniff him out earlier. "If I may, what language does she speak? Greek perhaps?" Shinobu seeing the discussion shift towards her seizes the opportunity and speaks out. She gestures to herself as she speaks her name. By the sounds of it, she is introducing herself in Japanese.

To both their surprise, the man responds in Japanese. The girl catapults herself to hug the man, much to his amusement. "I take it that I've been the first one she's been able to talk to?" Gleeson shrugs. "But the girl does have a point." Said girl now circles him, taking interest in his many pockets. "We have not introduced ourselves."

"Gleeson", is the satyr's simple reply. The man then grabs Shinobu's attention by extending his hand to her. She looks at the man for a moment before accepting the offered handshake. The man then speaks to her, translating? Gleeson isn't sure. Shinobu gives the handshake much more energy and follows it with a short nod. The man then turns his attention back at him.

"My name is Ivan V. Hugo. You may call me Ivy."

Somehow both Shinobu and Gleeson know that Ivy will be with them for a while. They both wonder how Thalia might react to finding out that their party of three has become a party of four.


	14. 1014: Ivy

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Ivy|-

* * *

They freeze in shock and awe, unable to comprehend the anomaly, the horror, before them. Never have they seen such voracity, such carnage, such large amounts of... ramen devoured by such a small girl. That is the fifth bowl Shinobu is putting down and the three of them haven't even touched their meals. Those are rather large bowls too. "Are you sure you're good for this old man?"

Ivy gives a reluctant nod at Thalia's inquiry. "I offered your friends a meal as thanks for their rescue and so I will." Thalia can't help but raise a brow at that. From what she heard, he needed no rescuing. He is acting too generous. Speaking of suspicious...

"I noticed you didn't order anything." While Thalia has barbecued pork and Hedge has a salad, Ivy's side is empty of a plate. Gods, she still can't get over that a grown man called himself that. Is she being petty? She convinced security to let her in and wondered through Olympus, a city in its own right. All that effort spent failing to meet Hera in Olympus and to also hear that none knew her location.

"I'm not hungry. I don't have much of an appetite these days." The tone of his voice makes Thalia think 'these days' is a much longer period than the wording implies. Though she doesn't have much of an appetite these days as proven by the half plate of food she hasn't touched.

Thalia grabs Shinobu's attention and hands the blonde the plate. Shinobu hesitates, but her hunger shines behind her eyes. The food disappears into the black hole that is Shinobu's gullet soon after.

Shinobu for her part is enjoying eating ramen. It is no Ichiraku but still… She is eating ramen! She thought this universe was bereft of ramen's glory. She did not see it served even once at camp and it isn't like she could ask. The pair that understands her back at camp does so with difficulty. So, yes. She will savor this moment for all it was worth.

It is also petty revenge on Ivy-san. Oh, he is generous with the gift of ramen, but he is also being kind of a dick. He is proficient in speaking her language, kind of, yet seems to find amusement in her ignorance. He avoids giving her direct answers to many of her questions.

What's with the snake ladies? Were they summons? Or was that a bloodline limit? Or a justu? What about the bull man? Or the goat man with them? Why does everything that dies turn to shiny sand?

Scythian dracanae. No? No? No? Minotaur. Satyr. Not everything turns to gold dust.

Okay, so technically, he answered her questions. But he knows what she meant and those aren't exactly helpful. He explained what to call half snakes, half bulls, and half goats but didn't explain why they are that way. She can assume the words 'summons', 'blood limit', and 'justu' are unfamiliar to him. That could mean they have different words to refer to such things. That doesn't tell her much, though.

But it's not like rephrasing the questions helped. He wouldn't even give proper answers when she asked follow-up questions for him to elaborate on. Okay. Not everything to turns to gold dust. So what creatures turn to gold dust? What about humans? What about half goats, satyrs? Why do others turn to gold dust?

It depends. No. No. Ah, your friend has returned. Let's continue this later.

It is deliberate. That twinkle in his eye and the small amused tug on his smile to her irritation tell her that much. He answered but tried to give as little information as possible as if it was a game to him. Well, if he wants to play games, she can play them as well, starting with burning a small hole in his wallet.

Unfortunately, it seems she doesn't have the same appetite she remembers. Less than a dozen bowls plus Thalia's half plate, and she is already slowing down. She wonders if it's because of her body. Most of the kunoichi she met ate little, a lot of them keeping to their diets, with a few exceptions like Anko. Is it chakra related? She doesn't have as much chakra to burn so maybe she doesn't need to eat as much food. Is she remembering wrong?

Contrary to popular belief, Shinobu didn't have a habit of eating stacks of ramen in one sitting. Yes, she ate a lot of ramen, but she distributed it through the day.

Whatever the case, this round goes to Ivy-san. She can't eat enough for him to back down on his offer. His expression doesn't even show any of the regret or sorrow. She usually got that much from Iruka whenever she burned through his paycheck. She patted her belly in satisfaction and gave a loud burp. She still has space, but too much and she may end up puking in a middle of a fight. A waste of ramen.

Gleeson Hedge for his part just nods at Shinobu. This is the world of eat or become dinner, and she was eating so she can stay high on the food chain. The term 'lion's share' came from somewhere, right? Gleeson decides such a line of reasoning makes perfect sense. He orders a second salad and makes a promise to eat a tin can sometime along the way.

"So. Have you given thought to where you are to go next?" Ivy's sudden inquiry catches Thalia by surprise. No. She has no idea where to go next. "You are searching for Hera, correct?" Yeah, but it's not like the US has temples devoted to the Greek gods and goddesses. Not that she knew of at least.

"I was thinking of going to Las Vegas." Though, Ivy's expression tells her he disapproves. "Why not?" It is, the Marriage Capital of the United States of America and, "Hera is the goddess of marriage". But Ivy just shakes his head and straightens his posture as if preparing for a lecture.

"I'd prefer not to go too far west." He gives brief pause but continues before Thalia can interrupt. "Yes, Las Vegas might be the Marriage Capital but Hera has high standards. She has a definite preference to perfect marriages. Many Vegas marriages are anything but perfect." Thalia grimaces at that bit of info. It makes sense. But…

"You sound like you're planning to come with us." His raised brow asks if that would be a problem. Yes! But why? Here is an older, more experienced demigod offering to help them on her quest. She could say more demigods in one place means more monsters, but the excuse sounds hollow even in her mind. "Why?" She at least wants to know that much.

"Partly, I can use the company. I was separated from a… friend of mine and I've not been accustomed to being on my own for a while now." The frown on his face tells Thalia he didn't expect to be so attached to this friend. He fit the loner bill well enough. Is he also hoping to find this friend along the way? That didn't mean Thalia bought his story wholesale, though. Again, loner type. Not the kind to offer to join a trio on a quest.

Before Thala can express her reluctance, Gleeson speaks up. "Partly?" It seems the satyr has his own reservations with Ivy joining the party. Ivy hesitates. Perhaps trying to find the right words or perhaps he himself does not understand his own reasons. Either way, the satyr gives him a glare. If Gleeson gets a whiff of him going traitor, the satyr would strike first and ask for apologies later. Scratch that. There won't be any apologies, no matter the circumstance.

"Another reason is… curiosity." His eyes glance at Shinobu as he said this. Thalia bites back a groan. Yeah, Shinobu is a curiosity all right. It bears repeating. Legacies are almost unheard of in Camp Half-Blood. Heck, most of the demigods at camp had no idea what a legacy was until word of mouth caught spread.

The blonde wears what is in her opinion an excessive amount of blades, eleven of which are identical. _Who needs eleven of the same daggers?_ None are Celestial Bronze. The sword isn't Greek, and the girl fought with a style that is definitely not Greek. All that on top of being unable to speak Greek or English. She speaks Japanese despite not looking half Asian. How the fuck did she even get to Camp Half-Blood not speaking either language?

"And the other reason?" A token gesture. Again, Thalia has no good reason to refuse the help. She just can't shake off her distrust of the man. It isn't so much she's afraid he'll stab them in the back. It's more that she noticed how guarded the man is about information about himself.

Ivy sighs, running his hand through his graying hair. "Protection." Thalia raises a brow at that. "Despite appearances, this body isn't up to the task. It can't fight through more encounters such as the one your friends saw." Thalia gives him an inquisitive stare, asking if he is sick or injured. "I have a studio where I can address the issue and I'll be able to take care of myself after that. For the moment, I'm on borrowed time. Soon, I won't even be able to stand, let alone hold a sword."

"So you want us to act as bodyguards while we head to this place of yours for medicine?" Ivy doesn't reply and Thalia grunts at that. Perhaps it is pride and him not wishing to show weakness or perhaps he is a secretive person. Either way, it is obvious he doesn't want to tell them much more. "Okay, so where do you need to go?" With luck, it won't be too much of a detour.

"I cannot say." Ivy continues before Thalia can comment. "The entrance to… the entrance shifted. I have no idea where it is anymore. There are other entrances to it but I'm not sure they have not shifted as well. It was how I was separated from my companion in the first place." Thalia expression says they will not stray too far from their chosen destination just to help him. "Don't worry. There are enough entrances to check up on that it'll be no issue.

From what she gathers, Ivy is looking for teleporting doors to teleport him to safety. She wonders if she should be happy or worried she is so desensitized to the bizarre. This must be strange by mortal standards, but maybe this is normal for demigods.

"If not Vegas, where should we start?" Vegas is so far west it doesn't need to be their first stop.

"I suggest Washington." Washington? "Like I said, Hera has high standards." It takes a bit, but it soon dawns on Thalia. High standards. Which family and marriage do people hold to the highest standards, at least in public? She groans.

"I don't think visiting the First Family will be easy." Then again when was anything easy for a demigod?

* * *

-|AN|-

* * *

This is mostly just filler. This is the best I could do. I'm not sure I'll do much better this month. March has always been hectic for me.

About my question about OC's, as expected, the less OC's the better.


	15. 1015: Interlude

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Intermission|-

* * *

The idea to ride the train to DC is Ivy's. Riding atop it instead of inside it is Gleeson's. Shinobu, according to Ivy who seems amused at all this, is all for it. Thalia wants to strangle them all.

She might if she can decide whom to kill first. Ivy gave no protest to such stupidity, and yet sits inside the train. He either paid a ticket or bent the Mist to convince people he is a passenger. Gleeson was the idiot who suggested riding atop in the first place. He then encouraged Shinobu's dangerous stunts atop the speeding vehicle. Shinobu somehow runs, stands on her hands, and practices swordsmanship on the speeding train.

Thalia is also too busy to commit murder laying on her belly and hanging on for dear life. Gleeson comments that, at this speed and the wind rushing against their face, it was kind of like flying. Okay, the satyr dies first. The blonde might get herself killed with her antics, so that left the old man.

While Thalia contemplates mass murder, Shinobu is having the time of her life. Finally, chakra. It is small, less than what she had that night she used the imperfect Rasengan. She still has more today than the days following that fight. She is sure it is thanks to the power of ramen. What else can it be? She takes advantage of this opportunity to grow her reserves and improve upon her new style.

It isn't too chakra intensive to stick to the train. She only needs to glue to the train with chakra in small sporadic bursts. This is good since she doesn't want to wear herself out in the middle of a mission.

With that in mind, Shinobu stops after an hour or two, takes a breath, closes her eyes. She then sits in a lotus position with her hands in the ram seal. Meditation should help replenish her reserves. She contemplates everything that happened in the last… month? Half a month? Or is it more than a month? She is unsure how long she was unconscious after her first fight.

Her latest memory is as Hinata's husband and as Bolt's and Himawari's father. It should thus be odd for Shinobu to live as a young teenage girl. But it isn't. She wonders if this is an aspect of disconnecting from Naruto. She is but a small fragment of his soul. Or is it a side effect of passing through the gap between worlds?

What is she anyway? At first, she was a wandering soul fragment with the tiniest of drops of chakra. She has little memory of then. She had brief flashes of existence in this world. Her physical bodies were always unstable. Those feel like forever ago and a moment ago at the same time. And this body she had now…

It started malleable. She needed to just in case her initial form was inadequate for the challenges of this world. The first time spent unconscious took away her small window to adjust. She's pretty much stuck as she is now.

Life. An amazing accomplishment given so little. She is alive and whole in a whole other world.

She created a bastardized version of the bijuu's existence. The tailed beasts are living forms of chakra. Naruto was with Kurama all his life and had plenty of experience with the furball's brothers. That is not to mention Naruto's experience in the Tailed Beast Mode. So all she needed was enough chakra to manifest a body and poof! Life! Well…

It is trickier than that. She is glad for Naruto's extensive mastery of the Kage Bunshin and Sage Mode. Sage Mode was her method of gathering chakra… or whatever passed as chakra in this world. Kage Bunshin allows her a human body without the need for extensive knowledge of anatomy.

Kage Bunshin creates a corporeal copy of the user. A weaker, less stable copy, but one exact in almost every way. It even copies the chakra pathways. That extends to every other system in the human body. Of course, it does. Otherwise, the technique would not create copies that mimic the user's injuries or weaknesses.

It makes it all the stranger why she's a girl instead of being a perfect copy. She chalked that up to the majority of the… life force she has not coming from Naruto. Too much natural energy through toad-influenced Sage Mode turns you into a toad statue. So a lot of foreign life force might influence her.

She still thinks of herself as Naruto. She has their collective memories after all. Given the chance to repeat that life, she'd make the same choices in a heartbeat. Most of them. There are others she questions. So many what ifs. It made sense she supposed. Her existence results from that question. What if.

As Shinobu contemplates on her existence, Thalia and Gleeson cannot help but take note. They are so used to her being the loud hyperactive blonde. In some ways, seeing Shinobu's current silence and stillness felt unnatural. Quiet and contained were traits that sounded like the antithesis of all they knew about that girl.

It reminds Thalia that she does not, in fact, know much about the girl. They had one spar and less than a day of this quest together. The rest of her knowledge about the blonde came from what Luke and Annabeth told her. There were other rumors too but Thalia isn't one for hearsay. Though, she sees kernels of truth to them thanks to spending time with the blonde.

The Aphrodite cabin romanticized Shinobu as the love child of a son of Ares and a daughter of Apollo. Many accounts have her the child of two sons but Thalia would rather not go there. The girl loves and is great in combat. Her golden blonde hair and sunny personality are hard to ignore. Both combined made her an easy target for the deranged harpies.

What laid before her now is a serene sight. Thalia almost convinces herself that this is a quiet scene despite the noise. She wonders if she'll misremember this as a quiet memory. It is too bad that this was their stop. "Hey, Shinobu." Thalia tries to give the girl a gentle nudge as she speaks those words. She is half apologetic that she may startle the girl. She is half afraid that the girl will attack her on reflex like the way martial artists does in the movies. It's a childish fear she tells herself.

Thalia is about to try again when Shinobu… falls over and lets loose a thundering snore.

"SHE FELL ASLEEP!?"

* * *

-|Intermission|-

* * *

How in the world did Thalia end up being the sucker to carry the blonde?! Hedge is a satyr, and Hugo is an adult! Thalia is almost the same age as Shinobu for fuck's sake! The only reason she isn't having more trouble with the ordeal is because Shinobu is short for her age as a girl. Everybody knows girls hit their growth spurt before the midget a late bloomer?

No! Contemplation of how puberty affected each gender later. Be curious about blonde enigma later. Focus on angry thoughts now! Or focus that curiosity to more pertinent questions. For example, how many volts does it take to kill someone and make it look like a heart attack? What if she forgoes assassination and goes with blatant homicide? Would the gods object or applaud her if she sacrifices her companions to them? Does satyr count as mutton or cannibalism? Or is it half and half?

She's tempted instead to focus her anger on her current human backpack. How can she fall sleep atop a moving train with all the noise, high winds, and the general sense of danger? How does she _stay_ asleep?! She's punched her in the arm, shouted at her face, and shook her up. She's resorted to a shock enhanced punch. This was followed by enough shaking and swearing to wake the dead. Not a peep.

It does not help that Ivy deems it the appropriate time to lecture her. He spouts on about force, work, momentum, balance, and leverage using simple machines. All the while he attempts to hide the immobility in his left arm and the limp in his left leg.

Gleeson hopes this will slow the party down enough. Those two salads and two and a half tin he had earlier are attempting a prison break from his gullet. He is already on all fours – not that Thalia notices – and looks ready to either barf or slam his head down the pavement.

"No! Stop that! Stop nibbling on my ear! I am NOT food! NO! I don't know who this Rayman is but you can go eat his face later!"

A limping old man with a crawling satyr followed by a screaming girl carrying another girl.

This was the scene a few Hunters of Artemis came across.

* * *

-|AN|-

* * *

The next part will move the plot forward but that might also mean the chapter will be delayed. I don't know. Sorry. March is a busy month for me.

Feel free to give your opinions on this chapter.


	16. 1016: Hunters

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Hunters|-

* * *

The Hunters of Artemis' reputation as man-haters is notorious. It is thus unsurprising that they misinterpret the situation. They see it as two males oppressing two females, knocking one out and forcing the her to carry the blonde.

Gleeson and Ivy are lucky. Thalia is not in a foul enough mood to get them killed under false pretense. Or perhaps she is more concerned with her pride. She takes offense in the idea that anyone can subdue her into manual labor. Not without a hell of a fight.

The hunters seem to approve of the sentiment. Though, the hunters are not merciful enough to leave the men unchecked. The hunters gag and hogtie both males as they head to the hunters' temporary camp. Thalia is angry enough not to protest on their behalf. By coincidence, said camp inside President's Park.

Thalia wonders exactly what the Mist shows mortals. A handful of adolescent girls carry two bound males towards the park south of the White House. The Mist must be heavy here. She is sure President's Park isn't supposed to be this vast. The amount of trees, and its wildlife make it seem like a jungle instead of a park. Then again, wasn't George Washington a supposed son of some god or goddess? Or was that a different president?

"So, what are you doing in DC?" The question isn't directed at anyone in particular. Thalia isn't all that interested in the answer to be honest. She's just making small talk to fill the silence. Maybe the loud blonde accustomed her against such lulls. She glances at the blonde in a fireman's carry by the redhead in front of her. She can't help wishing for her to awaken soon.

The bulky redhead is the one to give a response. "We are on the trail of a stag that has by coincidence eaten an assortment of magical plants. As they are now, we can use its antlers in mixture we are preparing."

"But..."

"But it has attracted many monsters, and we are in a bit of a time limit."

"So magic antlers that attracts monsters. I'm not sure I've heard of such a creature before." To be fair, while Thalia knows a lot about monsters, she is no expert. There are a lot of monsters in the are she is unfamiliar with. The conversation halts for a second as the hunters stop their trek. Thalia's gaze sweeps around to realize that they are now in camp. Her eyes dart around the hunters tending to their injured sisters in the torn, silk tents. She finches at the damaged, silver jackets over bloodstained, white shirts.

The redhead continues as she hands Shinobu to another hunter, ignoring Thalia's concerned expression. "The deer and its antlers are not magical. It ate magical plants but they don't affect anything when consumed. They don't do anything on their own. The assortment of plants it had grazed on over this season led to its antlers becoming mild acid. The reaction creates with air leaves a scent. By coincidence, the scent is akin to the one that monsters use to track demigods. We hope to use it in a mixture we have to make it more potent."

Thalia senses something akin to a boring chemistry lecture incoming and changes the subject. "So. Where's Zoe?" She is more interested in the state of affairs of the hunters. A question about the second in command seems like a fitting way to gather information. "I half expected her to ask me to meet her and for her to try her recruitment spiel on me by now." The last time she encountered the hunters ended with an argument. Zoe, the moon goddess' lieutenant, wanted her to leave Luke – and Grover, he was her friend too. She wanted Thalia and Annabeth to join the maidens sworn to the goddess of the hunt and the wilderness.

The redhead frowns at her and Thalia wonders if is stepping too deep into their business. "I don't think joining us as of this moment would be wise. Artemis is not quite herself as of late. Not that we blame her. Her brother has been annoying her a lot. More than usual, I mean. So she has been irritable." The large girl's eyes darts down. Her face turns away from Thalia and away from the depressing sight around her. The next words she speaks in a soft voice, though not quite a whisper. "It doesn't help that she's sick. It's nothing major. You know, headaches, nausea, fatigue…"

She trails off and Thalia isn't convinced that this is just a minor inconvenience. A goddess, sick? It never occurred to her as a possibility. Thinking about it though, didn't Zeus once poison his father? Didn't his grandfather, Ouranos, once give Gaea constipation. So an ailing Artemis is not quite far-fetched. "Will she be okay?" Will you guys be okay?

"The goddess will be fine." The hunter stands straighter and speaks clearer. "But until then, we intend to help her as best we can. It is why we are hunting the deer in the first place. Its antlers will be the final ingredient to our cure. The monsters make the hunt much more dangerous. The most monsters have not bothered with it yet. They might think there is a demigod nearby and prefer to search for that instead. But there's no telling when one of them might decide to take interest in the deer. And…"

"Let me guess. The hunt isn't going well." The redhead winces at that and Thalia wonders if she's being too forward again. "I want to help. If I can. So I want know more so I can know how to do so." The redhead's eyes dart to hers, opens her mouth but closes it just as quick. "Hey. I'm butting in one way or another. You think the deer can cure Artemis? I'll get it for you. Just point me in the right direction. Or don't and I'll try tracking it myself anyway."

The hunter begins to speak but hesitates a second time. "Usually, I would say that we more capable for this hunt. Even with the large amount of monster the deer attracts, this would not be the hardest we've faced."

Another pause and Thalia resists to ask, "But...?"

"Whatever has inflicted our goddess has dimmed her gift to us. Aside from immortality she also gave use the skill of archery and greater strength and speed."

The gift is not quite immortality. Artemis' hunters cannot die of natural causes but they can die in combat or in the hunt.

"Most of us have been hunters for a long time and are beyond the reach of mortal efforts." But the gift is a big difference. "The gifts are not gone but they wax and wane. This does not prevent us from taking this prey..." Assertive. Though if one asked Thalia, defensive. "...except for one factor. Those pesky birds. If you want to help, drive them away or kill them."

"Um. Birds?" The hunter is about to retort, perhaps even refuse her help but Thalia holds her hand up. "I'm guessing your plan involves sneaking through the monsters instead of fighting against them. You can't do that when these birds give you away." Thalia gives herself a mental pat at the back on the girl's stunned face. It isn't that hard to figure out. The hunters have lost most their powers so they can't take the direct approach. The only way she can imagine that the birds can be a problem is if they make the sneaky approach less sneaky.

"I am Phoebe." At Thalia's look, obvious the subject of names didn't cross her mind until now, Phoebe grins. "I thought it best if we knew each other's names before we made a deal." They accept her help. "We plan to have another attempt four days from now. By the pattern we've observed so far, that will be when our gifts will be the least hindered." Though nowhere near full potency.


	17. 1017: Birds

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Birds|-

* * *

Birds. Stymphalian Birds to be exact. Pigeon-like creatures with Celestial Bronze beaks that can tear through flesh. Dangerous, yes. Their killing potential isn't the reason the hunters needed them dead. No. What they are is a bloody nuisance.

First, they act as alarms for monsters in the area. They nest so close to the deer that any attempt on the deer alerts them and causes them to swarm. The cacophony might scare the deer away before they could get their mark. It would attract every other monsters in the vicinity.

Monsters swarming is bad enough, but that alone isn't the issue. According to Pheobe, that would be difficult but doable. The second issue is how much they would slow down the retreating hunters. Hundreds of metal beaks and sharp feathers had that effect.

The birds need to go. Period. They have to kill hundreds of fast moving aerial targets in a short time frame. It is a tricky proposal even with the blessings of Artemis in full effect, never mind as they are currently. Their blessing is at half efficacy at best, non-existent at worst, and goes at any range between the two.

That's where Thalia comes in. The only reason Pheobe even considered accepting her help was thanks to her parentage. She is a daughter of Zeus, which means lightning powers. They are hoping she can zap them out of the sky.

Of course, things can't be that easy for her. Turns out, the damned birds have spread out over separate nests in the area. One zap is not gonna cut it. The remaining birds and monsters will swarm her unless she can call down half a dozen blasts. That is more than double her limit and she can't summon lightning fast enough either way.

She takes half a day, but she comes up with an idea. Instead of a series of bolts, why not one mega bolt?

It's worse.

It won't cover a wide enough area and such a strike would be overkill for the few it hit.

What about the opposite?

Weaker lightning but in greater quantity. Nope. She can't cast one after the other fast enough.

Could she fork and chain the mega bolt?

Yeah. That might work.

It is a much more difficult thing to do than to say. It takes a lot of time and energy to summon that much voltage, which means she will only have one shot at this.

The following days she asks a hunter to sneak her out the monster infested forest so she can practice. It takes all the remaining days but she makes it. She succeeds with two-thirds the shots she makes. Three shots are all the attempts she made. Each drains her too much to risk more during practice.

So here she is attempting something she has only succeeded in twice before and the stupid deer moves. Why the fuck can't it stay in the clearing it had the days prior? No. The fucking deer takes a nap under a fucking tree today. It even chooses the tallest tree in the area. Because that's what she needs. She doesn't want to risk charring the target and it stays under a tree. It is under giant fucking lightning rod when she is about call down a "mega bolt".

She takes a deep breath and counts to ten. She counts back down to one and back to ten again.

Okay. She needs another plan. She needs to come up with plan B on the fly, under an hour. Longer and the hunters will start their attempt without her contribution. They'll risk death for the sake of the goddess they love so much. Great. Okay. She can do this. She can do this.

Okay. Here's goes nothing!

A flash of lighting arcs cloud to cloud and a loud boom echoes over the forest. She sees the bronze beaked menace go airborne, startled by the sudden clash of thunder. Thalia doesn't have time to sigh in relief. She focuses all her thoughts and all her being on conjuring her "mega forked lightning of doom". She needs to cast it five times faster than all her previous attempts or the birds will have time to land or attack.

It is less than three seconds, but for Thalia, it is an eternity. Then. BANG!

First darkness.

Then silence.

Finally nothing.


	18. 1018: Rewind

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Rewind|-

* * *

Three days previous.

Shinobu leans forward from her sitting position, her eyes forward. In front of her, a girl in her late-teens takes a deep breath as she draws her bow. Shinobu's own breath holds as the teen in front of her exhales half a breath, holds, then launches the arrow. A soft thud echoes among the trees as the arrow hits its mark, a simple cross etched out at the bark of a tree.

Shinobu bursts into applause and cheering. The archer's head turns, cheeks red, and averts her eyes. The girl shuffles her feet to turn her body to the one girl audience to gives a quick, small bow. This only encourages Shinobu. Her now louder cheers spur the archer to stuttered words. I-it was nothing. Any-anyone of her sisters cou-would do it too. Passing archers give the scene a chuckle. The scene doubles in hilarity when the teen remembers the girl she is talking to only speaks Japanese. Before long, the young archer is call by one of her sisters.

Shinobu is alone again, this time with a bow she borrowed from the older teen. She had no illusions about learning to use the weapon. Bows aren't for her. Call it a gut instinct. Besides, she already had her hands full. She creating her own fighting style, one she should work on right now. That could wait.

Her borrowing the bow is but a means to admire the novelty of such a weapon. Bows are not commonplace in the Elemental Nations of Shinobu's world. The chance to hold what is for her an exotic weapon is too precious an opportunity to refuse. She inspects the silver bow from all angles. Not that she has any idea on judging a bow's quality. She gets up from her cross-legged position and mimics drawing the string. This repeats several times, with each draw, a different pose. She notes how it is short enough to use crouching or kneeling and how much strength it takes to draw.

She gives the weapon one last look before deciding to return it to its owner. The girl isn't difficult to find. Follow the smell of ozone. If she understands this right, the archer is Thalia's guide. She can't leave the monster infested forest otherwise. Though, Shinobu is sure the archer is also tasked with keeping an eye on the leather clad brunette. In fact, the only reason she was with Shinobu earlier is because Shinobu continued to bug her. The guide conceded to the demonstration. Quite an achievement considering she could only mime the request. That didn't stop her from vocalizing that request anyway.

After she returns the bow back to the silver clad teen, she bids Thalia and her farewell. Thalia responds with a lazy wave and her guide gives an awkward one.

Shinobu hates the language barrier. The thing she hates most is her lack of understanding of what's happening with her new friends. Thalia leaves the forest today as she did yesterday. From what Shinobu gathers, she will again tomorrow. Shinobu doesn't know why. Is Thalia out on patrol? Is she hunting? What?

For all she knows, her new found friend is preparing to become a sacrifice to a volcano.

On second thought, no. She is sure Thalia isn't doing something suicidal. Thalia expresses no fear or hesitation when she leaves, only determination. When she returned last time, Shinobu sensed frustration but also some satisfaction from Thalia. Best guess, Thalia is doing a solo mission that was difficult but not dangerous. At least, nothing dangerous enough to worry herself with.

Shinobu closes her eyes and takes a breath. Since when had she become so overprotective? Thalia is fine. If she needs help, she'd ask for it. With that thought, Shinobu takes a walk as she contemplates on what to do next.

She could work on the academy three. With her current limit, she can't perform them in succession to a satisfactory level. It isn't manipulation that is holding her up as much as the molding. Chakra is a mix of physical and spiritual energy. She has a fragmented soul in a strange body. She can mix the energies but the balance is off. Right now her chakra feels thick and sluggish.

She need not relearn how to use chakra. All she has to do is adjust how she makes chakra. It means returning to basics, which she isn't looking forward to. She might have to go to exercises more basic than the Leaf Concentration Practice. She groans at the thought. The great Hokage needing to relearn an academy exercise. One's chakra directed to a focal point leans more on manipulation than molding.

It's a shame she's stuck doing something so banal and often so immobile. She is here in a forest she wants to hop around in and explore.

She stops and drops to a cross-legged sit. The sooner she got the boring parts over the faster she can get to the fun bits. She brings her hands together. Each hand clasps the other, the line from elbows to wrists horizontal. She doesn't know why she went with the snake hand seal instead of the ram she usually went with. It's not like it matters which one she uses.

She draws chakra. Not a lot. It is enough for tree walking. Soon it will be less than that as she draws less and less until what she gathers is almost unnoticeable even for her. It is not how the academy taught molding chakra, but she already has years of experience. It's easier for her to start from something more advanced and work backward.

…

Okay. She doesn't remember how the academy taught the exercise to them. It was boring then too. When she graduated from the academy, it was so basic a skill set, she didn't need to focus on it.

She doesn't know where to start.

It can't be too hard. The academy taught creating chakra early on. There's no way it is a complicated method if they could teach it to little kids. Right?

Okay. The chakra she is producing drops from tiny trickles to below what she can sense with consistency. It's embarrassing she is taking this long. Chakra control isn't among her strengths. All she has to do now is focus on removing the charka's 'shape'. She hopes spreading it thin would work and break it down into its two components. It is like a reverse of making the Bijudama. The user gathers positive and negative chakra. The user then mixes them in the right ratio before shaping it into a sphere.

That's it. Just a little more. Aaand…

Failure.

The blonde hangs her head in dejection. She then collapses backward from her seat on the forest floor. The fallen leaves and grassy earth soften the impact. Scattered leaves drift back down and litter over her as she lay spread eagle on the ground. Her blue eyes squint against the few patches of sunlight that pierce through the leafy canopy.

It isn't a total failure. She's sure she got chakra to separate into its two components. Except she doesn't know how to sense either of those components, much less control them. That might mean she is over complicating this.

Shinobu takes slow breaths in the dank, musty air before exhaling. She takes in another breath. She holds it in until her face reddens in the effort before letting it all go with not-quite-scream. In one quick movement, she is back to a seating position. Her legs don't cross and are instead folded to her left and right. Her hands clamp together.

Theory isn't her strong suit. For now, she'll try brute force. She'll try again and again until she breaks through to the other side. That, or until inspiration strikes her along the way. All she has to –

"Ahem."

Her momentum halts at the sudden intrusion and raises her head up. She continues further backward until she is 'looking-upwards' at the man behind her. "Ivy-san?"


	19. 1019: Ivan V Hugo

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Ivan V. Hugo|-

* * *

For Shinobu, the best part about talking with Ivy is that she _can _talk with Ivy. Yet there are still barriers to overcome. For one, there are many terms from the Elemental Nations that don't translate well. Most of them involve chakra and ninjutsu.

For example, the word 'shinobi' for Ivy refers to covert agents, spies, and assassins. That is not the case for Shinobu. A shinobi of the Elemental Nations receives both covert and overt missions. Heck, genin are the lowest ranked ninjas and they get missions that are not much more than manual labor. The word 'shinobi' means different things for them.

Another problem Shinobu has when talking with Ivy is the way Ivy speaks. It is rather old fashioned from Shinobu's point of view. It reminds her of her conversation with Hagoromo, the Sage of the Six Paths, went at first. His speaks in a formal, long-winded, and old fashioned way. Unlike the Sage, though, Ivy speaks little of philosophy and instead goes on tangents. The few times he doesn't, he speaks with as much vagueness and with as few words as possible.

This all makes explaining to Ivy what she's trying to do difficult. Shinobu's failure in academics doesn't help when explaining chakra theory and chakra mechanics. At best she can tell him that chakra is a mix of physical and spiritual energy and she is trying to mix them better. She can't explain what physical and spiritual energy is, how to generate them, or how to mix them, etc.

Ivy interests remain, but in his eyes what she is attempting is more spiritual and less practical. In the end, they settle for spending the rest of the day talking about swordsmanship. Shinobu prefers sparring but Ivy isn't in any condition for such. Communication remains tough but still leagues better trying to explain any chakra related topic.

Shinobu, as she is, can't rely on her old method of overpowering her opponents or outlasting them. So she has to come up with something else, hence, a whole new fighting style. Some might say she's overreaching. Ivy hinted as much. She wouldn't be herself if she doesn't go overboard in some fashion.

She admits there is a big difference between creating one move and creating an entire style. It was a good idea to base it from the Gentle Fist, but it is much harder than creating the Uzumaki Barrage. She lifted the Uzumaki Barrage from Lee's Strong Fist which is more to her style.

Incorporating blades into it also adds a whole new layer of difficulty. Without chakra, weapons are that remains as her equalizer. Her constant spars with Noseless, Earless, Shouty, and the Not Twins made that clear. What? The burly, angry kids weren't chatty and preferred punching to giving names. It suits her fine either way.

She kicks their asses in hand-to-hand. She has more actual combat experience than the five of them combined. It is a bad match up for them even that fact. They are prideful hot heads and they are too direct in their approach.

Them, armed, versus her, unarmed, was tricky. The small, flat, open arena also muted most of her shinobi training. It's too small, relative to Konoha's training grounds, often being mini-forests. It's not an excuse. It just serves to highlight how much she needs a weapon. She's a can use misdirection, but some situations will need a more direct approach. She can no longer rely on chakra to level the field, both in the figurative and literal sense.

Swords weren't her first choice. Her match with Thalia made her consider a polearm. In the end, she still has shinobi training ingrained in her. Swords are the longest ranged non-projectile weapon that remains usable in enclosed spaces.


	20. 1020: Gleeson Hedge

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Gleeson|-

* * *

Another day meant another attempt breaking down chakra to its two components. Today that means Shinobu walking on her hands while juggling a pair of her small daggers with her toes. Moving helps her think more than sitting still. She failed with simplifying chakra creation so she takes a shot with complicating it. She uses tiny amounts of chakra to strengthen her arms and help catch the blades.

Neither these two reasons changes the fact that Shinobu looks silly to everyone else. Not that she realizes as she concentrates on her exercise. Not like she'd care if she did.

It is this brave and bold attitude that prompts Gleeson Hedge to ask Shinobu for help.

…

Okay. It's more the fact that Shinobu is currently the closest person who can help. That and the fact that he is bound and gagged to a tree. The archers didn't tell Shinobu why they had tied up Gleeson and Ivy. She can make a few guesses, but she understands why Ivy is currently unbound and Gleeson is still not. That the half-goat immediately searches for his captors to attack them after she frees him is why.

Shinobu understands he is angry. She grins. What helps her to vent is punching stuff so she leads him out the encampment. Monster killing should be fun. But first, rope.

* * *

-|Hedge|-

* * *

The Hunters weren't about let him out without one of their eyes on him. He didn't see who but they can't hide from his nose. Besides, has bigger fish to fry. Literally bigger though not literally fish.

Cyclopes. Two of them. They both lay in a clearing that looks small relative to the towering hulks. He might be brash but he isn't stupid. He may get one while they were unaware, sleeping, but the other he won't catch by surprise. One-eyed giants that can crush every bone in his body with one good swing is something to be wary of. If memory serves right, there was talk about a pair of Hunters injured by such an encounter yesterday.

He admits, his first instinct is to charge in and bash their skulls in any way. He doesn't. Call him curious.

It is hard not to when he sees his blonde rescuer bounce between trees. She goes higher and higher before she lands atop its sturdier branches. He cranes his neck up and sees the mischievous glint in her eye shines along with her wide Cheshire grin. She unslings the coil of rope she has from her shoulder and ties one end of it around the branch she's on. The other end of the rope drops and hangs in front of Gleeson, her intention clear.

He doesn't know what she's up to but he'll try anything once. Once he is up, she unties the rope. She cuts it in half with one of her blades, slings one over her shoulder, and tosses him the other. She hops from branch to branch till she is above the largest Cyclops of the group and motions for him to come along. For the first time, he hesitates, but it is brief. If he can climb cliff faces, trees are nothing. He goes, much less gracefully than the blonde. The branches almost give way twice. He makes it on a tree giving shade to the second largest Cyclops snoring unaware.

He wonders how the pair could stay asleep with a Cyclops' great hearing and the ruckus he made coming over here. Then again, if noise can wake Cyclopes up, they'd be unable to get any sleep. He shrugs it off for later and looks over to his companion to see where she is going with this. Attack from above?

She begins by tying her rope like a noose. It is large enough to wrap around a Cyclopes neck and motioning for him to do the same. Are they going to assassinate the monsters by hanging them? That doesn't sound right considering much of the rope is in the loop and the ends are almost an arm's length. He complies with creating his hangman's noose nonetheless.

Then, crazy happens.

The blonde takes a rock from her pocket and tosses to the monster below her. Immediately, the one-eyed giant sits up in attention. Gleeson chastises the blonde for giving away their element of surprise. She drops down from the tree before he finishes. She catches the Cyclops' neck in the noose and lands on the small of the giant's back. The crazy blonde whistles at his direction. Already, the once docile mass below him awakens. Gleeson copies the blonde's earlier actions in reflex.

Before the blonde's catch can speak its confusion, she throws a pebble at Gleeson's. The cogs in Gleeson's brain piece together her intent.

The blonde throws a pebble at Gleeson's catch before hers can speak its confusion. The cogs in Gleeson's brain piece together her intent.

God of Olympus!

Indeed that one assumes the worst of his one-eyed comrade, and its fist flies towards the other's face. The other retaliates with a punch of its own and soon the pair is in a brawl. All the knuckleheads ignore the while the blonde's whooping and cheering. Gleeson himself is speechless. He almost forgets to hold on the rope as the exchange of fists shook his ride.

He is in no doubt that a ride is exactly what Shinobu gave him today. The slow realization he's riding a Cyclops like a cowboy dawns on him. He can't help but laugh and holler along with the insane, stupid genius with him.

Their celebration doesn't escape the Cyclopes' attention forever, just until sunset. The pair tired themselves out and the Hunter escorting Gleeson pops out the greenery. She slays the giants with shots to each's eye.

By the end of the day, Gleeson collapses like every inch of his body is on fire, but in a good way. Okay, in a bad way. Like his muscles has turned to molten hot jelly… of pain. It looks like the mastermind of today's shenanigans isn't in much better condition. One look at each other's dirtied face and they soon struggle with haggard laughs.

Shinobu is a crazy idiot, Gleeson decides. But damn is she a fun and brilliant nutcase.

It is days like these that he feels young again. He had almost forgotten that youth isn't just brave confidence – or brash overconfidence. It also has a joyous liveliness to it. Not all that useful in the survival of the fittest. But what is the point of surviving if you don't enjoy yourself every once in a while?


	21. 1021: Day Four

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Rest|-

* * *

The next day is a rest day. Turns out, riding two Cyclopes till sunset does a number on one's body. Shinobu is so used to being the super ninja she was that she forgot her current limits. A young, untrained body like she has now can't handle the same rigors that were once child's play to her.

…

Okay, she never paid heed to her limits back then either. She might have done the same stupid things she did either way.

It doesn't make resting and healing up any less boring. She can't even work on her chakra unless she wants to risk exhaustion. Her body needs every drop of the energy it can spare. She misses Kurama. She recovers faster than most thanks to her Uzumaki heritage. Still, the furball's chakra was great for speeding it up. She misses him too. The nine-tailed fox and she had a rocky start, but he had become a dear companion. She misses everyone.

Shinobu let loose a sigh. She can't let herself brood this much. She might end up looking like the duck-butt bastard. That is part of getting a fresh start. She will treasure those bonds forever, but they shouldn't become chains holding her down. Instead, her bonds, their memories, should propel her forward. Moving forward, moving on.

* * *

-|Day Four|-

* * *

The next day, Shinobu is already up and running… and cartwheeling... atop the branches.

Some would call her hyperactive. They'd be right, but it's not like she has much else to do. Thalia is out again, doing whatever. From what Shinobu could tell, this will be the last job Thalia needs to do for the hunters. Gleeson is still recovering from the Cyclopes ride. Ivy is also incapacitated.

She isn't much for chatting with the old man, not after she's been immobile for so long.

It is past noon when she decides she's done enough of a morning warm-up. It is finally time to focus on training. She starts by doing a spar with an imaginary opponent. Shinobu grimaces. Another utility of Kage Bunshin she misses is always having a sparring partner. She thinks of asking for the archers for help, but the most skilled ones are out today. That might have something to do with Thalia's own mission. Besides, she isn't interested in practicing combat against ranged opponents, yet. One step at a time.

The Gentle Fist is a good base to start on for a style that doesn't rely on overpowering her opponent. That doesn't change the fact that it is too strict for her preference. Gentle Fist is also grounded and defensive. Shinobu prefers to move around and take the initiative. It is a small hurdle. She'll have to give it her own twist like she does with a lot of her jutsus.

Gentle Fist is ice; cold, rigid, either sharp or blunt. She needs to thaw it down to water. Her new style will need to flow. She'd like it to surge and maybe even become hard ice then back to water, but that's for later.

By sunset, her white shirt and silver camo pants are damp with sweat. While she is thankful, she doesn't want to ask for another set from the archers. There is a pond east of camp, though according to the archers it changes locations. Weird but not the strangest thing she's encountered.

Getting there is simple enough. It is a simple case of following her ears and her nose.

The water is colder than she expected but not intolerable. She leaves her sandals and weapon strap on some boulders. She hasn't bothered to disrobe. There is no point in taking a bath if she is just going to put on sweat-stained clothes. She relaxes, performs a few moves under the water, then goes back to relaxing. Afterward, she dries herself and her clothes with a simple chakra exercise. It takes longer than she'd like. Her chakra acts sluggish and unwieldy, but she succeeds, kinda. There are spots that are damp instead of dry but the wind will take care of that.

A loud explosion echoes at the camp's direction as she finishes putting on her weapon straps. With haste, Shinobu runs through the small forest.

When she gets there, the sight that greets here is that of an attack. About three dozen the size of Akamaru and a handful of dogs twice that size are hounding the camp. The archers there can't hold them off for long. It is obvious that the attack by the black dogs with glowing red eyes had come as a surprise.

The camp is in chaos.

Immediately, Shinobu brings her sword to bear. The other one is still damaged. She does not charge the attackers head on. It is not the time to be brash. She can't risk the lives of her comrades to such stupidity.

She runs up one tree until she is atop its higher branches. As she hops from branch to branch, she takes the daggers from her back and snipes down the enemy. The smaller ones are easy. The larger ones are much harder targets. They are more aggressive and thus in constant motion. The smaller ones might be more aggressive if the silver clad archers didn't force them back.

She transfers her sword to her left arm and takes daggers from her right side and throws those as well. Curses leave her lips when she runs out daggers. She drops down and impales one of the larger dogs through the head. Its body cushions her fall before it explodes into gold dust.

The enemy's numbers don't seem to dwindle. She can see more coming from the forest. The monsters will overrun them if the fight continues this pace.

A loud clap followed by a second louder crash of thunder echoes in the distance. It sounds like Thalia was busy, which likely meant her entourage was also busy. No reinforcements then. Not soon at least.

Shinobu kills a couple more of the big ones by stabbing them in the neck while dodging their lunge. She hardly dents their numbers. From the corner of her eye, she can spot Gleeson swinging his bat against four attempting to back him into a corner. Some of the archers are busy trying to both hold off the attack and pull their downed comrades to safety.

Her sword slays another three, but it isn't enough. Killing these things one at a time is too slow. She needs something large in scale. But how? She doesn't have enough chakra to go through the academy three.

A pair, with their teeth, drag Ivy by an arm and a leg and another set takes away Gleeson's weapon.

With a cry of frustration she throws her sword like a spear and kills one of Ivy's captors. She hopes it'll slow the other down. She runs back up a tree and straddles a branch. She can't afford any distractions or have a monster attack her while she is doing what she is about to do.

Her hands clasp together, and she focuses inward. What she is about to do is really, _really_ stupid. She can hear her heart beating like a drum in her chest, not out of fear but out of the fight's adrenalin high. She needs to calm down. Toad Sage Mode, drawing natural energy to empower all her abilities, is risky right now. According to Fukasaku, only those who have "extreme chakra levels" can use natural energy. She doesn't have extreme chakra levels to invoke senjutsu. By all intents and purposes, this is a useless suicide move that will just leave her as a stone statue.

She has a theory. Kinda. The idea is simple. In theory, the world has a will. It is through nature chakra it imposes its will. Or at least this augments its capabilities for change, renewal, and destruction. It's similar to the way chakra is for shinobi. The reason overloading in nature chakra turns people to stone is because it is nature's will. The battle to not become stone is, in theory, a battle of wills. Chakra, if she is correct, is just an amplifier of those wills. She _really _hopes she is correct.

It was how Sakura explained levers worked. Chakra is the lever, and the will is the force. In theory, if she has enough will, she can win against nature despite having less chakra.

It isn't going so well in practice. Already, she can feel her legs becoming stiff and heavy. The branch she is on snaps and she drops to the ground feet first. Her feet make small craters but she feels neither. The numbness is climbing to her waist.

She keeps herself from tensing, from grinding her teeth, from screaming in frustration. She needs focus. Everything else is just a distraction. For a moment she stops drawing. She feels its effects retreat and yet she knows she is not drawing enough to do anything of value. She draws, and it creeps back up again. Her ability to sense energy climbs, and she can feel the battle around her. She has no more time.

With one final push, she draws as much as she can, then her hands flash through hand seals. She bends forward, and her body teeters over her stiff legs. She falls forward. Her hands part, and her palms slam into the ground.

"Doton! Yomi no Numa!"

With the last of her consciousness, she directs the technique to the largest group of enemies. She is careful to avoid the allies she can sense in the battlefield. She only hopes it is enough to give her allies the momentum to push back and help her friends.

Numbness.

Darkness.

Nothing.

* * *

Three separate beings sense a ripple.

One god,

One Protogenoi,

And one other.

* * *

-|AN|-

* * *

As you can see from the description, I will no longer be uploading weekly.

While I was writing this chapter, I was also trying to fix up some of my older chapters(spelling, grammar, some rewrites). It was quickly evident however that I would not have time to do both in one week. As such, I have decided to schedule myself with 1 chapter every 2 weeks and doing the fixing up in between those.

As always, feel free to express yourselves. How do you guys feel about authors doing rewrites? How do you feel about the 1 chapter every 2 weeks thing? How did you guys feel about this chapter?


	22. 1022: Aftermath

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Aftermath|-

* * *

The winds rush past her face. Her heart doubles its pace as she collides with the clouds.

She's falling. She is falling! Oh the gods, she's falling!

Thalia hits the ground, pillow and blanket on top of her. She blinks the sleepiness away. Her hand grabs her throbbing skull. A curse escapes her lips.

The crunching of leaves alerts her to feet approaching the silk, silver tent. She forces herself up with a groan. Her eyes dart to her gray sleeveless shirt and black panties with a skull and crossbones pattern. The pain dulls and her eyes spot her pants and jacket by the foot of her bed. She gets her pants on but the flaps of the tent open before she can reach her leather jacket.

"I see thou art awake." A spark arcs between Thalia's fingers in surprise. She expected company but not Zoe's voice. Another hunter, younger than Zoe hesitates and pokes Zoe on the shoulder. Zoe gives the girl an annoyed expression. It softens when the girl recoils in fear. She gives the girl a pat on the head and turns to Thalia. "I see you are awake." Zoe emphasizes 'you' and 'are' then mutters to herself. Her short partner gives Zoe a small smile which Zoe returns with less enthusiasm.

Thalia does not hide her amusement at the exchange between Zoe and the junior. The cold and aloof lieutenant of Artemis yielding to the timid is too bizarre. Zoe gives Thalia a mild glare. Zoe straightens her silver circlet and tightens her posture. She opens her mouth to speak but her companion interrupts her. "You've been out for almost two days." The younger girl gives her a pitying look. "Your friends are not so fortunate."

Thalia's face pales. Did something happen to her friends? Before she can ask, Zoe speaks up. "While you were away, monsters attacked the camp. Hellhounds." Thalia's heart races. The implication is clear. Monsters attacked the hunters and her friends because of her. The hellhounds searched for her. "The blonde is unconscious." Zoe's eyes soften. "The satyr is gone." Strength leaves Thalia's knees but she forces herself to stay standing. "He may still be alive but we cannot say this for certain." Zoe hesitates and her face goes from soft to stern to accusing. Her companion lays a hand on her shoulder and Zoe's expression becomes neutral.

The younger hunter speaks up. "Your older friend is… strange. I think it will be better if you see for yourself." Thalia takes a deep breath and steadies herself. The two hunters give her a moment to take everything in. Zoe places a hand on Thalia's shoulder. An understanding passes between them. Zoe prefers they get this done as soon as possible but she'll give Thalia time to rest if she wishes to. Thalia takes another deep breath and nods. She's ready.

They leave the tent and immediately Thalia regrets her decision. The camp shows the scars of the hellhounds' attack. The camp wasn't in great shape when she first entered it. It is in worse condition now. There are a lot more hunters, but far more suffer from injuries. Some hunters tending to their injured sisters are themselves injured.

Thalia wants to ask if how the hunters fared. How many did the monsters injure? Did anyone… Did anyone die? Her lips part but Zoe's glare drains her courage. Thalia's averts her eyes from Zoe's gaze. This is her fault. The younger hunter gives holds her hand and shows a comforting smile. Thalia returns a weak smile. She prefers Zoe's harshness. The kindness hurts more.

They enter another tent but the young hunter stays outside. Shinobu's golden hair draws Thalia's gaze first. It is unsettling that the blonde is silent and still. Zoe directs her attention elsewhere. Is that an arm?

"Is time for the interrogation?" Thalia's heart jumps. The arm talked! "Let's get straight to the point. My real name is Daedalus." Zoe's shoulders stiffen and Thalia's eyes widen.

"Ivy?!" Thalia recognizes the voice. "How?"

The arm points to Thalia. "Yes. I have gone with that alias." The arm points at itself. "Ivan V. Hugo to be exact. As for how, I have found a means to transfer my consciousness to an automaton." The voice takes on a smug tone. "This is my fourth body. Ivy. I. V. Four." Thalia groans. Ivy, Daedalus, sounds way too smug. It isn't that clever.

"And 'Hugo' means 'Bright in Mind and Spirit' or 'intelligence'." Zoe drones in an annoyed tone. "Get on with it!"

The arm gives an embarrassed cough. "Correct. I suppose you are not interested in my origins." The two girls give the arm a flat stare. "Indeed. I do believe you'll want to know that I can help you save your two friends." Gleeson! Wait? Two?!

Zoe bits her lip and her eyes glance at Thalia's unspoken question. "The satyr and Pheobe."

"And most of my body." Zoe glares at the arm. She can care less about the man's mechanical toy. She wanted to save her sister in arms. "Tsk. Tsk." The arm wags a finger at her. "It's my body that will save your comrades. It produces a signal that we can track." The silver clad lieutenant of Artemis crosses her arms. "I can't track it as I am right now." Daedalus continues before Thalia speaks. "I need my workshop."

"This is not going to be easy, is it?" Rhetorical. Thalia knows nothing is easy for demigods.

"It's in the Labyrinth." Fuck! "And the entrances to Labyrinth's have shifted." So before they can even try traversing the underground maze they have to find it first. "I should also warn you. It is acting up, especially in the last century, doing strange things." Great.

"It doesn't matter." Zoe's confidence is infectious. "We'll find the Labyrinth and find your workshop. Are you sure you can track your body if we do?"

"More important than that, do we have time?" Thalia holds her hands up at Zoe's intense glare. "I'm just saying. This sounds like it will take a while. How can we be sure they won't be dead by then?" She tries not to back down from Zoe's gaze. "I mean. Hellhounds are Hades' minions, right? Why not just go straight to the land of the dead and get them out?"

"You mean aside from the fact that the Underworld is enormous. Or aside from the fact that it will take an eternity trying to find your friends?" Okay, stupid question. "There is an entrance to the underworld through the Labyrinth. That should mean we can enter without alerting Hades' forces."

"Thalia is not completely incorrect. We can't waste too much time." Zoe turns to Thalia. "Prepare your belongings. We'll leave by sunset."

"Wait. What about Shinobu?" Zoe and Daedalus' disembodied arm freeze. Worry shoots through Thalia. "What?"

* * *

-|Demon|-

* * *

Shinobu groans. She is glad she is alive but her body aches like Gamabunta sat on her. Her back is wet with sweat but her skin is cold. The blanket on top of her is heavy, suffocating. She lifts her arms and pushes the cover away from her. Her vision is blurry but she can see bandages wrapping her arms. Her body throbs and she knows her entire body is also wrapped.

She feels awful.

Everything hurts but she's still Shinobu. She can't stand lying still and doing nothing. She forces herself up despite her body's protest. The world spins and her ears ring but she succeeds. She sits at the side of her bed and raises her hands to her head. The throbbing stays but dulls. She exhales a dry breath and combs her hair with her fingers. Wait.

Her hands stop atop her head and trace a small bump on her head with her fingers. It is small but hard and pointed. She needs a mirror. Her hands drop to her sides and grip the bed. She pushes forward to stand but falls to the side. The ground thuds against her shoulder. She tries to stifle a scream but fails. Her wails are so loud she can neither hear the footsteps that approach her nor the words spoken.

Hands lift her from the ground and return her to the bed. They pull the blanket over her but her hands push it back. She tries to speak but she bursts into a coughing fit instead. Arms lift her to sitting. A hand brings a cup full of water to her lips but her own feet grabs her attention.

Stone. Her feet are the solid gray of stone.

In pain or in distress, her eyes water. The girl holding her up lowers the cup and lowers her down to the bed. Concerned eyes look down on her. Shinobu spots herself reflected in the girl's eyes. Bandages cover her face and her hair spread over her pillow. White draws her focus.

Peaking through golden strands is a pair of bone white horns.

* * *

-|AN|-

* * *

Before anything else, I'll clarify that I have only done spelling and grammar fixes and small readability tweaks. I won't be making full-scale rewrites. I may do small rewrites but nothing big enough that any of you will have to reread any chapter. I won't make changes to the plot.

This chapter is shorter than I wanted but I've been busy with my relatives visiting for my brother's graduation.

With the cover image, I didn't want to change Shinobu's appearance but plot dictates consequences.

This chapter is on the gloomy side. The next chapter might pick up in pace.


	23. 1023: Scars

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Scars|-

* * *

A tall muscled teen draws a triangle in the earth then points East. "Thank you." She knows they don't understand her words but Shinobu hopes they understand her tone and her small bow. She had asked around, emphasizing the name of her friends, to a dozen people with no success but this one responded to Thalia's name. It was difficult looking for her friends, but this small lead makes it worth the effort.

Shinobu turns and hobbles with crutches under her shoulders. Her petrified feet makes the simple act of getting around tedious. They don't seem fragile but she doesn't want to risk breaking them by walking. The wooden crutches help but they bring attention to her impairment. The stares and the whispers remind her of her childhood. They don't speak in hateful tones or stare with harsh glares but eyes dart up to her horns, pause on her scars, and continue to her feet. Their pity tempts her to return to her tent and wear the cap and soft leather shoes her caretakers' left by her bedside.

The blonde shakes her head. She looks them in the eyes and stretches her lips into her widest grin. Gazes turn away red-faced but Shinobu laughs and regains their attention. They return her enthusiastic wave with small smiles and meek waves. Shinobu replaces her grin with a cheerful whistle and continues East with a figurative spring in her step.

She is once again clad in her orange shirt, denim pants, and the leather strap which holds her weapons. Half her daggers are gone though the hunters repaired her swords. Bandages no longer wrap her form, exposing the light scars over her skin.

They didn't start as scars but thin strips of stone embedded in the skin. Later, the strips thinned then crumbled away and left tiny wounds that healed overnight into light scars. A prominent one runs over her nose. It reminds her of Iruka though hers is nonuniform and starts from under the corner of her left eye, curves down, and ends over her right nostril. It's a novel experience as she never scarred. Was that thanks to Kyuubi or her Uzumaki body? She at least hopes they are cool and badass or intimidating.

Since they started out as stone strips that gave way to skin, it could mean that her stone feet may give way to flesh. She channels chakra to her feet a second time. The stone does not recede so raw chakra isn't the answer. Another day, another puzzle to solve. She hates puzzles. Why can't the problem be something she can punch?

She stops by the edge of the hunters' camp. Her nose takes a few whiffs. She is far enough from the camp for the other scents to not overpower Thalia's sharp smell, faintly reminiscent of chlorine. A thunderstorm's scent. Thalia also smells of leather but that doesn't permeate the air like ozone does. Shinobu's eyes scan the ground. Both her eyes and nose lead her to a trail. On the ground are two sets of boot prints. She is confident the pattern with skulls is that of Thalia's. The other is a hunter. Hunters she met in camp wore combat boots. She wonders if her other friends are part of the party.

The prints end over drier earth and the uneven terrain. Forested landscapes don't lend themselves to recording the passage of people's ear on the ground. Her training with Jiraiya was sporadic. She paid little attention to non-jutsu related lessons, so she is glad neither is a shinobi and neither covered their tracks.

She follows broken twigs, disturbed grass, overturned rocks and other signs of movement. The rough terrain slows her and soon she encounters one not accessible with her crutches. She ponders if she can afford to circle the area but decides against it. The area is large and she may lose the trail or spend a long time finding the trail again. Her chakra flows over her legs and reinforces her feet so they do not crack under her weight. She then carries her crutches as she walks over large, exposed roots. Once she is on easier ground she returns to her crutches and stops the chakra flow.

It takes less than a minute for her to encounter another obstacle. The cliff of earth and rock has signs of climbing. The rope hanging tied to a tree is the most obvious clue. She can climb with or without the rope. If she wants, she can leap the small wall with chakra. Instead, she moves around it and tries to find the trail again. She finds where the cliff is lowest and makes her way over it. The rope is a good enough marker that spots it and returns to it will little effort.

She comes to a stop at a small clearing. It takes a second before it clicks in her head. This is the hunters' camp's previous site. This is where the large black dogs attacked. Her eyes gaze over the swamp and note small details. Pieces of torn silver cloth can be seen and the trees have the marks of weapons on them. At a distance, she can spot arrows embedded in earth and wood. She pokes the swamp she created and notes how easy she pulls her crutch out. The swamp is not as adhesive as it should be and she guesses its depth to be shallow.

The swamp's presence results in damp, soft earth around it. Boot prints here are pronounced and easy to follow.

She shuffles on when a hand clamps on her shoulder. Shinobu swings her right crutch backward, striking their shin. The hand withdraws from shock and pain. She turns to face her attacker to see a hunter hopping on one leg and two arms raised in a placating gesture.

Shinobu's resist the urge to palm her face. She should have known they would follow her. These hunters have shown great kindness to her and they are not the type to let a disabled girl wonder the woods by herself.

The three silver clad teens talk among themselves for half a minute, gesturing to her and the small swamp in occasion. The tallest of the three walks past Shinobu and gestures for her to follow. She isn't directing Shinobu back to their camp but to the same direction the trail leads so she follows. The remaining two hunters move in step behind Shinobu. Together the three form a triangular perimeter around the disabled blonde. They walk around the swamp and stop in front of what looks like an entrance to an underground structure. The rectangular, artificial stone doorway stood out against its nature backdrop. Etched on top is a large triangle. Shinobu guesses her friends ventured forth through here.

A hand drops on her shoulder. She looks up to her guide's face. The tall teen's brows furrow with concern and her lips thin to a grim frown. Shinobu understands. Wherever this doorway leads to is dangerous and her friends left her in the care of the hunters for her own sake. She can't fight and will hinder her friends' mission. Or so they think.

In a flash, Shinobu slams her forehead into the stomach of the teen to her right. She is too short to reach the skull. Shinobu channels chakra to reinforce her feet, wary of breaking them with her body's weight and the stress of her movements. The two hunters behind her move to grab her from behind. She drops at the last moment, spins, and with her crutches. She sweeps the teen she headbutted to the ground. The tallest falls to the side grasping her right leg. The third leaps away in time to avoid her attack. In haste, she drops her crutches and rushes the girl. Shinobu throws a chakra enforced punch which the girl blocks. The guard breaks to her strength, and, with a small hop, she reaches the girl by the hair and pulls her face into her knee.

Then she waits.

She waits until two are back on their feet. They move towards her, their movements slow and wary. She does not attack.

Shinobu surprises and confuses the three with a bow to the waist. she keeps her deep bow for ten seconds. When she ends her bow, she looks them in the eyes. She needs no words.

Shinobu has a handicap, but she is not helpless. She is more capable than most able-bodied demigods in defending herself. If they will not stop them, they should not stop her.

The other protests, but the tallest raises her palm to halt her companions tirade. She gives Shinobu a long, hard look then nods. The tall teen moves to their unconscious comrade. The other hesitates but follows her lead. Together they perform a two-man fore-and-aft carry.

Before they disappear into the trees, Shinobu shouts and waves her thanks and her goodbyes at them.

When she is sure she is no longer in their sights, she collapses on the floor. She lays in the cool grass, her breath harsh and heavy. She spent too much chakra while she is still recovering. It takes half a minute to catch her breath.

She heaves herself up and performs a mental check on her person and makes sure her stunt didn't stress bone nor strained muscle. For a second she questions her decision. What she's doing is stupid, and she knows that.

The imposing stone doorway looms over her. Her head turns to the forest. One last look before she ventures into the unknown. She inches forward until her crutches tap against the stone floor. and her form melds into the darkness.

The sound of stone against stone echo in the forest as a door rises from the floor and slams the entrance shut.


	24. 1024: Labyrinth

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Labyrinth|-

* * *

Shinobu's in a maze.

The short, disabled blonde restrains herself from punching the dull red of the vine decorated brick walls surrounding her. She instead focuses on shuffling forward though her knuckles whiten around her crutches' handles. Her stone feet's clacking against the tiled earth echoes in the narrow hallway. Electric lamps flicker overhead, illuminating a faint outline of smoke. Her nose wrinkles at the pungent smokey aroma. The sound of stone grinding against stone grate at the edge of her hearing.

She continues forward with a grimace. The maze shifts. Fantastic.

She stops at a split. The path ahead of her leads to older architecture. The path to her right has better lighting fixtures and less dilapidated walls. She takes a deep whiff, but the incense overpowers the smell of ozone. The wall's earthy tang also muddies the air. She resists the urge to sneeze and instead releases a short snort. Her eyes scan both paths and glimpses small gashes on the right path's walls. She moves closer to inspect them and sees small burns on the vines and moss along the shallow marks. Her lips edge out a smile as she continues to the right.

Thalia and her companions didn't leave as much of a mark against the hard walls and floor compared to the soft earth of the forest. Shinobu is glad for any sign of her friends though she hopes the battle they had here hadn't hurt one of them. The wall lacks any trace of blood. These creatures, monsters, leave no trace when they die but she is certain humans in this world will leave a corpse. She'll consider this good news for now.

It takes less than a few steps for the path to splits in two. This time the correct choice is obvious. The path to her right shows a dead-end. She takes the path straight ahead. It does not diverge for minutes and instead twists left and right every twelfth step. When she reaches a crossroad, the walls are no longer brick. Concrete engraved with depictions of men and monsters surrounds her. False windows overhead cast multi-colored light to the floor. A broken one reveals light bulbs behind the glass mimicking daylight.

She frowns as she observes her choices. Each is identical to each other. No marks mar the walls or floor to indicate a battle. She takes a deep breath and focuses on her nose. Thalia's scent is faint but there is no incense here to overpower it. She takes ten steps in each direction and notes the change in the scent's strength. The odor forward does not weaken.

When she reaches a corner she spots glass on the floor and looks up. Another broken, stained glass, fake window but behind it is a different bulb. Her eyes narrow and she backtracks to the crossroad. She tosses her a dagger to the glass above each direction. As she retrieves her blades she contemplates on her discovery. Her earlier observation was incorrect. The paths are not identical. Forward has the brightest, newest bulbs.

A minute later the path forks once again. This time, she takes only a brief glance at her choices before going left. After a corner, a broken arrow on the floor confirms her suspicion. Her friends moved towards the newer parts of the maze.

Hours pass as Shinobu follows the logic of her recent discovery. It's not perfect. She's hit a dead-end twice but nothing too severe. Right now her main concern is her lack of foresight to bring provisions on her journey. Her stomach is more than vocal about its complaints. Though when she started she didn't think she'd be traveling underground. In the forest, she can hunt. In the city, she can steal. Underground in this maze she is uncertain. She half wishes for a monster attack so she can test if they dissolve into dust when eaten. She suspects they would but it can't hurt to try.

Shinobu turns another corner when a spearhead greets her. In reflex, her hand uses her right crutch to parry the blade away. Before she can counter with her right her mind registers a face and stops. "Shinobu?" Thalia's incredulous expression matches her tone. Behind the leather clad girl is a hunter and an arm sticking out from behind her. Shinobu squints trying to recognize the familiar body part. Thalia opens her mouth to berate the blonde until her mind reminds her of the act's futility. The tall brunet with dark brown eyes and copper-colored skin, however, is unaware of the language barrier. She adjusts the silver circlet on her head and scolds the shortest girl. Her index finger points to Shinobu before outright jabbing at her shoulder.

The blonde just stares at the hunter with a neutral expression. She understands the tall hunter is chewing her out but she can't bring herself to act chastised. Her left crutch drops to the ground as she gives the teen a smile and one-armed hug. She then pats the stunned girl's head before retrieving her crutch from the ground. The concern is sweet but unneeded.

Before the hunter can renew her tirade Thalia pulls her aside to mention Shinobu's inability to understand English. Unsatisfied, the hunter instead unleashes her verbal lashing to Thalia.

With the attention directed away from Shinobu, the blonde directs her own attention to the disembodied arm in the sling behind the hunter next to a quiver of arrows. She gives a short glance at the two girls and notes Thalia is now arguing with the archer. Neither notices her movements. Shinobu is about to prod the arm with her finger when it moves. The arm twists so that its open palm faces her. In the palm's center, a circle of skin opens and reveals a tiny glass lens. "Ah, so it is you."

Shinobu eyes widen though she resists the reflex to jump back or attack. "Ivy?" The voice is mechanical, but it bears a close resemblance to the old man's. She knows no one else who can speak with her. The mechanical arm speaks again and tells her that Ivan V. Hugo is an alias and his real name is Daedalus. His explanation is formal and his tone is that of a smug lecturer. She groans. This is definitely the old man. "Daedalus" She interrupts him as she doesn't care that Hugo means 'bright in mind and spirit' or 'intelligence'. The history lesson on Rome is also unnecessary to explain how Roman Numerals and how IV is four.

"Ah. Yes. I suppose the details of my deception is best saved for later." Even when he's trying to be straight forward he's long-winded. "Daedalus is my name." Shinobu rolls her eyes. He said that already. "I am an inventor." He sees the girl's expiration and stops himself from listing his other accomplishments and titles. "Among my creations are automatons. Most importantly, I have found a means to transfer my consciousness into special automatons. Through this, I have evaded death through the millennia."

Daedalus gives her a short pause to process the idea. She didn't need it. Sasori of the Red Sand achieved his longevity in a similar fashion, creating puppet bodies and transferring a core of his living flesh from one to another. "I'm guessing with that body damaged you need to get to new one to transfer to."

"That is correct. Though I would have urged your companions here without the attack as this shell has long worn out its longevity. In truth, I was careless and should have transferred much earlier. However, we have another reason for this expedition. Monsters took one of your comrades along with the rest of my automaton shell." Gleeson! "Yes, the satyr." Did she say that out loud? It's an easy deduction. He's the one missing from this group. "I have a means to track most my valuable creations but for that, we need to reach my workshop."

Shinobu sees that the two girls have stopped arguing. Daedalus doesn't seem to notice and is still talking. He is more talking to himself that to her as he thinks out loud theories why they kidnapped and not killed Gleeson. She notes that the theft of his own body did not surprise Daedalus.

The girls interrupt Daedalus. Once again Shinobu finds herself out of the loop. Eyes dart to her and she knows the conversation is in part about her. She wonders if she has to pull the same stunt she did with the trio of hunters before entering this maze. It would not be difficult but she doesn't want to spend more chakra on a needless act. That she found them and is in one piece should serve as sufficient proof she can take care of herself. Granted she has encountered no monsters yet but it'll take a small army of them to overwhelm her.

The trio's conversation ends, and the hunter moves ahead of her and gestures for her to follow. From the corner of her eyes, Shinobu sees Thalia walk behind her. Before they ventured deeper into the maze with this simple formation Shinobu taps the hunter in front of her. The brunette turns to her with a raised brow. She points to herself. "Himura Shinobu. Shi-No-Bu. Shinobu." Simplistic but it gets the point across.

"Zoe. Zoe Nightshade." The teen continues to talk then abruptly stops remembering the pointlessness of the act. Zoe pauses for a second then her eyes glances to the disembodied arm on her back. The brunette opens her mouth but stops and turns away. It takes a half a minute for the idea to solidify in Shinobu's mind. Daedalus could act as translator. The thought is tempting, but she knows Daedalus enough to know he won't cooperate to the menial, mindless task. He might do it out of pride of his skill and his knowledge of multiple languages but unlikely unless what needed to be communicated was of utmost importance.

They reach the workshop within an hour. As soon as they enter, Daedalus leads them to his laptop with the large triangle over its lid. "It mostly stores all of my ideas, including blueprints and designs I never had the chance to implement. It will also act as our tracking device."

He then leads them to a large device that looks like two bronze coffins, one open and one closed, connected together by a maze of pipes and wires. With amazing dexterity, the disembodied hand escapes Zoe's sling and tosses itself into the open coffin. The next instant the closed coffin opens, and a man rises from it.

Shinobu observes his new body as he pulls himself free of small wires attaching him to the device. Daedalus looks to be in his fifties with grays in his short hair and a clipped beard. As he continues to rise from the device his state of undress becomes apparent. Shinobu chuckles at Thalia and Zoe's synchronous shriek and quick one-eighty spin. Daedalus' small, amused smile convinces Shinobu that his lean body, with muscle visible but not bulky, is in part vanity. She wonders if the small partridge tattooed on his neck is decorative. She gives him a thwack behind the head with her crutch. There's no perverted leer in his eyes but an elder smiling nude before teen girls is not a good image to portray.

He gives her a half-hearted glare though he can't stop raising his brow at her nonchalance. She gives a short snort and a dismissive wave. A little skin is nothing to the creator of Onnanoko Tachi and Reverse Harem.

She sees a pile of clothes beside the device and she flings them at the man before he can recover. As he clothes himself he explains the quick transfer by saying he readied the transfer procedure months ago but kept getting sidetracked. A minute later he sports black mountain-climbing pants, a bronze breastplate strapped over an orange shirt, and a sword strapped to his side.

Unfortunately, Shinobu doesn't have the luxury to explore the fascinating facility. They leave as soon as they refill their supplies. A mix of computers, blueprints, and art pieces blurs through her memory as they run away from the workshop and deeper into the maze.

Shinobu unknowing of their destination. The Underworld.


	25. 1025: Curious Spiral

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Curious Spiral|-

* * *

The Labyrinth stopped acting like a maze.

It doesn't split or twist in different directions. Instead, they're path runs counterclockwise and into a lower elevation. Daedalus's frown deepens. "The Labyrinth is unpredictable and this recent development is not so unusual considering the size of the maze." Their faces tell him words don't reassure them. "A thousand coins all landing heads is just as probable as any other permutation." His companions acknowledge his logic but sense his unease. Daedalus and Zoe Nightshade share a look. Such statistics and probability are fine for something random but despite impressions, the Labyrinth is not random.

"The Labyrinth has vitality and consciousness." Zoe Nightshade's eyes pierce his own. Daedalus does not react visibly. Artemis' gift of longevity, immortality outside combat, meant informed hunters. "Yours." He shakes his head. The hunters' seclusion meant their well of knowledge has holes and is often outdated. That their lieutenant has trouble keeping up with the language's evolution makes him consider how withdrawn they are from the world.

"While it is true that the Labyrinth is tied to my life force, its mind is its own and is beyond my control." Both Zoe and Thalia grimace at his words. If they believe him then this isn't his machination for a trap but the idea of the maze having its own consciousness is disturbing.

This downward spiral is deliberate.

Not for the first time, Daedalus considers turning back and finding another exit from his workshop. He is certain his companions have had similar thoughts. Despite this, he does not pause his steps and none of them change their pace of a slight jog. Hesitation is pointless. They already knew that they'd see this through to the end.

"So why are you here?" Daedalus raises his brow at Thalia's attempt to change the subject. "I mean, you might be decent in a fight but I don't peg you for someone to be with us on the front lines. Can't you just show us how to get the laptop to track your previous body so you can stay in your workshop or something?"

"So the great Daedalus is a coward." Daedalus ignores Nightshade's barb. The words are true and he prefers not to delude himself in petty lies. He is a coward. The fact does not shame him, though.

"I prefer to call it healthy caution against unnecessary risks. The philosophy is a great part in my prolonged survival." It leaves Thalia's question unanswered, and he considers the question for a moment. The answer is simple, but he is unsure how open he wishes to be with them. The answer might be his greatest flaw and one that his enemies used against him before. "Curiosity."

"I remember. You were hiding in the palace of King Cocalus when Minos issued a challenge of wits. It was how Minos found you." He gives a short not to Artemis' lieutenant. Stronger than his caution is his curiosity. He can't refuse an intellectual challenge. "That's why you are here now with us instead of staying back in your workshop? Simple curiosity?"

"Thalia's earlier statement is correct. I need not be here. I could have instead taught you how to track the remains of my fourth body with the laptop." He gives the statement to stall as he considers how much he wishes to divulge. "In truth, this string of unnecessary risk taking goes back further."

"This is not the first Labyrinth anomaly I've witnessed. My creation has acted in a strange for quite a while now. Among the first was the linear path created towards Okinawa." He does not give specifics of time. Time in the Labyrinth does not correspond to time outside it. Worse, the flow of time in the Labyrinth is not constant. One part of the Labyrinth can experience time sped up while another experiences time decelerated.

"That's in Japan isn't it?" It's clear Thalia doesn't remember when she learned of this factoid but she gives a satisfied grin when Daedalus gives her answer a short nod. "Is that why you learned Japanese?" Yes but he doesn't vocalize it. The conclusion is a straightforward one to make.

"My attempts to find out why led to constant delays on my projects and my scheduled body transfer." He's willing to admit that much because they'll reach that conclusion themselves anyway. The failure of his attempts he is not willing to illuminate. "My most recent search for clues separated me from my companion". Him running into an army of monsters isn't his best moment. In his escape, he found himself separated from his hellhound pet, Mrs. O'Leary.

His hands drift to his pocket where his Stygian Ice Whistle lay. The whistle could call his old friend back to him but Stygian ice can only be used once before it shatters into pieces. He hopes to use it when there is less risk of another separation and preferably when he has a spare whistle as a backup. There is also no need to inform his current companions of Mrs. O'Leary nor his ability to summon the hellhound with the whistle. Call him paranoid but he's lived long enough to know alliances of continence can turn sour without warning.

"The encounter led me out of the Labyrinth and that was when the satyr and this legacy found me." Eyes turn to Shinobu. "Once again, my curiosity got the better of me as my inquisitive mind found a new puzzle to solve. A legacy at Camp Half-Blood is odd." Shinobu gives a childish huff expressing her displeasure at them talking about her in front of her. "I could leave that mystery to probability but, like with this maze, I know better. Take my advice. As a demigod, there are almost no coincidences." Both Thalia and Zoe give a grunt at that no doubt having experienced that fact themselves. "It wasn't the most compelling of mysteries but I reasoned it would be a good side project as I tried to find my way back into the Labyrinth."

"So your explanation back then for joining my quest was the truth." His eyes gleam mischievously at Thalia's glare. He told the truth then when Thalia asked after their first meal together though he omitted details such as how the problem was mechanical and not medical. Deception through omission is often preferable. What they fill the blanks with themselves is always easier to believe that a lie he outright states.

"I could tell by then my body's deterioration." Perhaps it was hubris. He thought he had more time, and he delayed too much. "A demigod, a satyr, and a legacy were sufficient protection as I looked for entrances to the Labyrinth." It's also true he missed having a companion.

He had forgotten how much he enjoyed having someone to talk to. Mrs. O'Leary is an amazing pet, but it's a pointless endeavor to teach her history or physics. He spent all these years discovering, experimenting, and inventing for himself and only himself. Part of himself has to admit his pace with inventions slowed and perhaps it's because his passion dimmed with his isolation. His time with those three was a refreshing experience. He was already planning his future excursion... for the next century.

"Then the hellhounds attacked, and I needed your assistance in taking me to my workshop for the transfer. As to why I'm still with you instead of staying in the safety, curiosity is once again at fault." He omits what specific curiosity pulls at him. There are plenty for them to choose from. One could be curious of the Underworld, especially an immortal such as himself who may never experience it. The puzzle of why hellhounds would abduct a satyr and an old man's body is another possible draw. They might decide that he is with them hoping to find more clues to the Labyrinth's strange behavior. Whichever they'll believe will suit him fine.

He keeps certain details to himself. For example, why when they asked him where to look for a Labyrinth entrance he told them to first check out the site of the attack.

His mind returns to the attack and lit lingers not on the blood and chaos but a puzzle. Shinobu Himura, a legacy of unknown origin, summoned a swamp out of nowhere. It's not the most impressive of feats he has witnessed but it was intriguing enough to check up on. Doubly intriguing are the after effects on the small blonde. Surprise overtook him when they found the Labyrinth entrance in the swamp. He is certain it wasn't there before. More questions lay before him and his eager mind overrides self-preservation.

Now the Labyrinth spirals them down to the Underworld if they are lucky. The path going down is not a guarantee it leads to the Underworld. Like time, space is also warped in the maze. Traversing a few blocks in the maze can lead to the other side of the world and moving East may lead West. Even if this leads them further beneath the earth, the Underworld is not the only location underneath. Tartarus would be an unpleasant surprise.

He hates relying on intuition but from his perspective, a 'gut feeling' isn't supernatural, not always. More often such intuition came from the experience. The mind recognizes a pattern but cannot consciously communicate its logic.

His thoughts browse through all he's learned of the Labyrinth's strange behaviors and his attempts to examine them. His gaze flickers to stone feet and small bone white horns peaking from blonde hair.

The truest answer to Thalia's question. Why he is here. A gut feeling.

* * *

-|A/N|-

* * *

I've decided to launch this chapter early as the next part will be another perspective switch and I think this would be a good enough spot to end a chapter with.

I'll try to speed up my writing process and schedule myself better. I think the worst part of this is how inspiration strikes me when I'm busy and leaves me when I'm in front of my PC. I tried to keep a small notebook and pen with me but my handwriting is atrocious. It's so horrible that by the time I get to my PC, I can't read a word of what I've written.


	26. 1026: The Underworld

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Welcome to the Underworld|-

* * *

Shinobu ignores the brief glances to her horns and her handicap. She internally shrugs. There's nothing she can do about the attention. The journey's repetitive pace left little to else to draw the eyes.

For hours they traversed through similar dull, stone walls and earthen floor.

The hot, humid air moistens exposed skin and dampens clothes. With the exception of Daedalus, their breath draws heavy. Shinobu gives a mental assessment of herself and confirms her stamina. Her muscles don't ache of stress or fatigue. It must be the air then.

Shinobu eyes Zoe twirling a pair of daggers in her hands with envy. If her own hands weren't busy holding her up with her crutches she'd likely do the same. Her fingers busy with her blades would help keep monotony from dulling her mind.

She is about to test if Daedalus is willing to indulge her in conversation when their next turn reveals a change. In front of them is a tall, oval, steel door with depictions of skeletons engraved on its surface.

Shinobu steps forward to investigate but is halted by Zoe's arm on her shoulder. Her lips part to complain but she snaps her mouth close and gives an indignant pout instead. It's not worth the effort to argue in unknown territory and she doubts Daedalus would be willing to act as a translator in a shouting match. Besides, if the door leads to a trap or ambush she is the worst choice to be in the lead. Her handicap leaves her with the least mobility in the group and her options would be limited to standing her ground to fight. Sometimes retreat is necessary. For them to lose that option is not worth her pride.

It's funny how much time matured her. She remembers when she was still a fresh, newly graduated, genin and how she might act then if presented with this situation. She doesn't remember. Was it the war that tempered her or was it peace?

Thalia moves ahead of Zoe. Her footsteps against hardened earth snap Shinobu from her reverie. Zoe's readies her bow as Thalia places her left on the door while her right hand grips her canister which expands into a bronze spear with a dim glow. The spear's transformation doesn't surprise Shinobi as she's seen Thalia's silver bracelet expand into a shield but she raises her brow at it. If Sakura was here the pink haired medical-nin might show interest in asking the mechanics of concealment. Was it a genjutsu, an illusion, or was it fūinjutsu, a sealing technique? Shinobu shakes her head at her own nostalgia. She doesn't care how it works and only cares to know that it does. It can be handy information to file for later.

Thalia whispers a countdown before she flings the door open with a forceful shove. Their eyes have yet to adjust to the change in lighting when an incoming blade forces Thalia to bring out her Aegis. The brittle metal blade shatters on impact with Thalia's sturdy shield. Before the first piece of metal touches the ground silver flashes from Zoe's bow.

Vision clear, they see their attackers, three yellow-eyed skeletons with transparent gray skin. These skeletal warriors wore cracked breastplates, rusted helmets and greaves, and broken shields. The ghastly warriors pay no heed to the arrows sticking out from their skulls through eye sockets and charge at Thalia. The disarmed skeleton wastes no time and pulls out its own rib as a makeshift dagger.

Zoe barks, either giving orders or providing info, at Thalia as she spins and sweeps her spear low. More arrows fly from Zoe's bow and pin the downed foes to the earth. The skeletal warrior's immobilization is short lived as they tear themselves free without care to self-inflicted damage. One detaches an entire limb before continuing its assault. Before they can run back to the Labyrinth's relative safety the earth rumbles beneath their feet and the walls and roof of the hallway cracks and shudders.

Zoe wraps her arm around Shinobu and lifts her over her shoulder then barks to Thalia and Daedalus. Zoe tosses an indignant Shinobu to Daedalus before sending a volley which stuns the warriors attacking Thalia. Thalia takes the small opening and sends a powerful blow with her shield knocking two down and pushing back the other. Daedalus carries a pouting Shinobu past Thalia while Zoe dives the standing foe with her daggers and kicks away the disembodied head. Thalia follows her example and chops the downed warriors and flings them away with her spear. Zoe is skilled but her daggers take longer to hack her opponent to pieces. One final kick sends an arm into the darkness and they make a hasty escape intent on gaining distance before their foes reform.

They then run deep through the cracked wasteland for two hours before they stop under a rock arch near the barbed wire fence. Zoe pulls out a tiny square which then expands into a full-sized, white, silk tent. Daedalus takes watch while they eat ration bars. Zoe eats at a sedate but regular pace while Thalia stares at her own half-eaten bar with distaste. Shinobu devours hers in a second. The rations aren't bad though she knows they'll turn unappetizing after the third or fourth meal. Zoe and Thalia engage in small talk which sounds amicable though by their tone she wouldn't be surprised if they are exchanging light barbs.

Shinobu represses the urge to brood though she can't stop the melancholy of being alone in a crowd. She escapes the present by contemplating the immediate past though remembering the recent fight won't lift her mood. She hates being the bystander. Worse, she was a burden, though a light one. It highlighted her flaws.

Her new style is based on the Hyuuga's Gentle fist. It held less brute force and relied on precise strikes. It's why her blades sacrifice cutting power for piercing and penetration. Her answer to armor is to attack where is no armor or to slip between its joints. The skeletal warriors, however, ignored the accuracy of Zoe's arrows and they'll ignore her sword as well. She's so used to chakra's versatility that she didn't think of the flaw of having such a specialized sword.

What were those anyway? Were they summons? If they were, were they summons like her toads, their own species, or like Edo Tensei, akin to zombies? Despite their spectral cover, the skeletons weren't ghosts. Or is that what ghosts look like in this world?

Though they don't scare her as much as they did before she hasn't outgrown her unease of ghosts. She supposes that she does not fear ghosts in particular rather she fears an opponent that is untouchable. Not surprising considering her preference to solving problems with her fists. Ghosts aren't a problem that can be solved by force.

Next time she'll bring a heavier blade for chopping and a blunt weapon for smashing as backups for her swords. Right now she can't solve her armory problem. Her remaining alternative is her limited chakra reserve which means more meditation. Shinobu rests against a leg of the stone arch and relaxes her body. She starts with continuing her attempts to sort out her sluggish chakra. The separation process comes easier than she expects but that was never the hard part, to begin with. She cannot sense nor control the physical nor the spiritual energy she created.

Her concentration intensifies. Gone is slight reddish tint that penetrates her closed eyelids. Next is the hard, cracked earth beneath her. The rough, dry air with a hint of rotten eggs disappear from consciousness. Sound is the last of her senses and it amplifies so the wailing white noise clarifies into the ghoulish cries of torment until her awareness dims further. The world around her fades from her mind, and her consciousness focuses on herself.

She can hear and feel her heart's rhythmic beat, the tiniest twitch of her muscles, and all the blood coursing through her veins. Then she removes even those from her awareness until all that remains is the ebb and flow of her chakra. A tiny drop vanishes into its basic components. For a moment she feels it but in an instant the sensation vanishes.

A thought occurs to her. Maybe the reason she has trouble sensing the energies is because there's already spiritual and physical energy inside. It would be like looking for a leaf in the forest. She needs a background contrast to the energy, so she's not trying to find white against white. She makes another attempt with triple the chakra but this time molds it a hair's width away from her palm. The sensation lasts an instant longer, and she realizes that she is sensing one energy but not the other.

That doesn't make sense. She's positive that physical and spiritual energies differ enough from each other that she can tell when she creates two. Triple her second attempt and the sensation returns stronger and she can-

She is jolted from her meditation by a sharp sting on her right shoulder. Her reflex swings her right arm in a back fist. Too late her consciousness registers that she is not under attack. Thalia dodges the strike by inches and the back fist lands on the arch behind Shinobu instead.

Shinobu does not attempt to hide her embarrassment. She scratches the back of her head and gives a weak chuckle as Thalia grumbles to herself. A louder chuckle comes from behind Thalia, Zoe. Her tone conveys the 'I told you so' in a teasing manner. As a light-hearted argument spawns between the two dark-haired girls, Shinobu observes their camp.

Time underground is hard to measure without the sun as a reference but the silk tent is gone and Zoe, Thalia, and Daedalus are wearing their packs. Daedalus is beside the barbed wire no doubt cutting an opening for them to cross. They are preparing to move out. How long was she down? As she stretches her stiff muscles a crack in the wall grabs her eye. It's the spot she hit. She takes a look at her hand and her face contorts to a light frown of confusion. The crack is small but that backswing shouldn't have the strength to leave such a mark. If it did, the act should damage her hand considering her current body.

Zoe and Thalia call out to her and shelves the thought for later. The skeletal warriors they chopped up have no doubt reformed by now and they need to move to keep distance. She walks over to the group and sees Thalia and Zoe huddled over a crouched Daedalus lecturing with his laptop. She catches Gleeson mentioned twice, and the deduction is easy.

When they cross past the barbed fence the background noise turns into distinct cries of anguish. The volume is still low, but the sound is clearer. Where before the wails could be mistaken for peculiar winds, now they are unmistakable as human.

* * *

-|What?|-

* * *

With each step through the wasteland Zoe grows more uneasy. Yes, the sounds of torture permeate the air but the cries are too muted. This is the Fields of Punishment, a place in the Underworld, where mortals are punished for horrible deeds. Shouldn't there be more people here? Every barbed boundary they pass she expects to see a soul suffering his dues but all the torture areas are empty. She is glad for the lack of encounters as it means no one who would potentially fight or raise the alarm but the desolation is eerie.

A couple of hours later and new sounds emerge from the distance. As the shouts grow louder and realization dawns on Zoe. Her companions' faces mirror her grim expression. The view revealed as they reach the peak of the hill confirms their deduction.

The Fields of Punishment is having a prison riot. Skeletal warriors hold a line against a swath of rioters. The line is heavily armed. Many are with swords, shields, and spears. Many are with firearms ranging from muskets to assault rifles. Though the rioters arm themselves with rocks, most not even sharpened, they hold the advantage of numbers. There is ten of them for every skeleton warrior.

The battle line stretches onwards beyond her sight. "Trying to go around this will take too long." Maybe impossible if the fighting stretches all around the Fields of Punishment. "We'll have to find a way through." The numbers here are too high to push through by force. They'll move around and try to find a spot where the clash is thin.

They move parallel to the battle lines, far from it but close enough to observe, for an hour. Then, as they cross another hill, chaos. An explosion echoes from the conflict launching bodies skywards. The force rocks Zoe and her companions off their feet even at this distance. Before they can stand to their feet bodies rain around them. The rioters around them lay still like corpses, a few whole, most pieces. The sight is horrific and she cannot fault Thalia retching behind her.

She grips Thalia's shoulder and forces her upright. "Hey! What's the-" There is movement all around them. The blast littered unmoving rioters and pieces of rioters around them. It scattered and tore apart skeletal warriors too but the dismemberment does not hinder the skeleton warriors as much it did everyone else.

They are surrounded. "Run!" They don't get far before they are blocked by a pair dressed in torn camos holding the remains of an AK-47s like clubs. If there is one silver lining to be found it's that those weapons don't reassemble. She pushes the dread of facing unkillable soldiers with firearms aside and brings out her daggers. She hears Thalia bring out her spear and sees Daedalus unsheathe his sword.

The three of them stand back to back against the dozens that surround them. Wait. Three? "Shinobu!" Her eyes sweep the ground and spots orange. On the ground, laying on her back is Shinobu with a pair approaching her. She fears the worst when she hears giggling. Her confusion grows when it turns into full blown laughter.

"Baka! Baka! Baka!" What?

Just when she thinks her confusion has reached its peak, the impossible happens. Staying straight as a pencil, without the use of her hands, Shinobu springs upright. Shinobu then pulls out her sword, pulls it back, holds, then casually thrusts it between the skeleton's rib cage. The stupidity of the act doesn't even register in full when the ghostly skin dissipates like mist and the skeleton collapses to the ground like the bones they are. The anomaly stuns the other warrior for a moment. A moment Shinobu uses to pierce it in its ghostly throat. Like its companion, the ghostly flesh disappears and a pile of bones is all that remains.

All eyes are now on Shinobu as she takes slow but confident strides towards them. Her bare feet no longer stone. She wipes her blonde hair off and reveals a feral, mischievous grin. The red glow of the Fields of Punishment tints Shinobu's visage. For a moment, the light creates an illusion. Blue flicker red and hair flash a dye of blood. At the corner of her eyes, she sees the warriors around them pause and take a small step backward. And for once Zoe empathizes with her skeletal foes.

With her horns, Shinobu looked like the devil come to take its dues.

One overcomes its hesitation and charges at the horned blonde and the rest follow its lead. Shinobu maintains her slower stride. Her path does no deviate when they reach her. Her blade dances and her torso weaves and bobs at their attacks. But her steps remain straight and her pace stays even, leaving vapor and bone piles in her trails.

Shinobu is in front of her before Zoe can process the event that she has witnessed. "How did you-?" _**What**_ are you?

Then Shinobu raises herself by her toes and pulls Zoe down to kiss her on the cheek. Shinobu's arms are still around her when the blonde collapses unconscious onto her.

What?

* * *

-|A/N|-

* * *

So what do you guys think? I worry that giving Shinobu the power to put down skeletal warriors might make her a Mary Sue. I hope not.

Shinobu having a fragment of a soul and her first adventure bringing her to the Underworld is deliberate. I also think that the mechanics I've thought up as to how Shinobu does this makes enough sense to justify it. But I can't help but worry about over doing it.

It's also incredibly hard to balance out Shinobu in the Percy Jackson world considering the power and skill gap that exists between her and most demigods. Someone's said I've nerfed her. They're right. And yet even then, I can't justify her being in the same league as the demigods once she gets her stride(gets used to the lack of chakra and her lowered muscle mass). The experience gap is simply too wide IMO.

But I could be wrong.

As always, all feedback(agreeing, disagreeing, loving, hating, neutral) is appreciated.


	27. 1027: Ghosts

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Ghosts|-

* * *

Thalia's and Daedalus' refusal to carry the unconscious Shinobu surprised Zoe. Thalia's excuse is that she already did so before and thus it is only fair for her to not have to do so now. Daedalus feigned frailty due to age, an outright lie which he did not make the effort of concealing. He did offer to ease her burden by carrying Shinobu's straps for her weapons. She's glad she doesn't have to bear the weight of all that metal but her companion's amused grins grate on her.

Shinobu is small and light so carrying her doesn't slow Zoe down nor tire her out. She just wishes Shinobu would stop moving around so much. Shinobu's constant flailing tempts her to stop and hogtie the enigmatic blonde but the girl's whimpers make entertaining the thought difficult. It's bad enough she had to gag the poor thing with a handkerchief to stop the moaning and wailing from alerting enemies to their location. Zoe traces the patterned, oval mark on her shoulder and lets out a scoff. The handkerchief also serves to keep the 'poor thing' from biting through her shoulder. She is sure that will leave a scar.

Why was she even here? The events that lead her here are all a blur to her. Thalia was adamant in setting out to rescue the satyr and she tried to make the daughter of Zeus see sense. Hades hates Thalia's godly father, and the Underworld is his domain. Thalia was hearing none of it and they argued and shouted. They did **not **end up on the floor, pulling at each other's hair, and scratching at each other like undignified, barbarian wenches. _No_. They came to a compromise like the proud, civilized women that they are. Though how or why they came to this compromise she can't remember.

Perhaps it's honor or duty. Phoebe offered sanctuary and protection to their group and had failed. As the lieutenant, the responsibility to honor that weighs on her shoulders. As a Hunter of Artemis, she cannot stand idly by when a maiden, especially a maiden with so much potential, is in mortal peril. She wasn't about to entrust Thalia's safety to a man either. She contemplates if it's selfishness that bore her decision. This journey presents an opportunity to convince Thalia to join the Hunters. Perhaps she shares Daedalus' flaw of curiosity. A satyr kidnapped by hellhounds. For what reason?

The blonde's arrival was a shock to her and an annoyance. While she respected the tenacity to follow them on their mission despite her handicap, Zoe didn't like adding babysitting on top of their rescue mission. Yet it was the blonde that saved them from a dozen unkillable warriors. Not that Zoe and Thalia couldn't defeat them but the fight would take its toll and more importantly take too long.

The question remains. How? It wasn't the sword. The blade is of good quality to be sure but nothing that would make it any better at killing their skeletal foe. The blade isn't even Celestial Bronze which should make it worse against monsters. Mortal weapons can hurt and even kill monsters but Celestial Bronze blades turn them into dust in one clean pass. Enchantment was unlikely as Thalia explained that a son of Hephaestus in Camp Half-Blood created it on short notice.

More whimpers interrupt her thoughts. "We'll stop for half an hour." She keeps the irritation off her commanding tone but not the concern. As bothersome as the girl is, it's clear she's suffering from a nightmare. A nightmare they can't bring her out of. The short blonde is the deepest sleeper she's met barring the children of Hypnos.

It takes six minutes to set up camp. Daedalus takes first watch again. It's the logical choice as his automaton body requires less rest. Zoe pulls Shinobu into the tent. She hopes the blonde's current calm lasts as she plans to take the first nap. It's too soon to need sleep but short naps are better than coffee when it comes to keeping on alert. If nothing else, the sleeping bag should negate the need to bind the blonde.

She takes off her boots and her overshirt and settles into her own sleeping bag. With a deep breath, she closes her eyes and attempts to ignore the muffled wails of the underworld. It takes less than five seconds for her eyes to flutter open. She finds her hand light on her cheek as and her eyes drifting to her temporary roommate. Her face warms at the memory of Shinobu's lips soft against her cheek.

She is under no illusion of attraction towards the girl. Her dislike of men is deep, but that doesn't mean she's gay. Though she won't admit it to anyone else, she once had a _very_ slight affection to Heracles before his betrayal, didn't she? And while she is sure the blonde will grow into a fine beauty, the girl is still a child. Young as her own body may appear, her soul is too old to be comfortable at the thought of being with one so young.

The kiss was chaste was it not? The kiss was a shock for sure but so was what preceded it. Surely the means by which Shinobu dealt with their foes is a more pressing concern for her mind. So why the introspection?

...

Because she felt a spark!

Not the romantic sort but... spiritual?

In an instant, thoughts and emotions washed over her. Her veins seethed with anger, with hate. She buckled beneath the vast abyss of loneliness. A spark of hope flickering in and out until it flowers around her and in her brighter than a hundred suns. She experienced the pains of thousand deaths.

It was powerful...

...and yet fleeting.

She had forgotten about it in the trek here. With each second her recollection of it fades into incomprehensibility and confused with something else.

Zoe gives Shinobu another glance before she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She can contemplate later but right now she needs to take advantage of what little rest she can find in this quest. With practiced ease, she relaxes her body and forces her mind into slumber though her last thoughts lay with the tingling of a phantom kiss.

* * *

Pain. All sensations have dimmed except the pain. He can taste the blood on his mouth though its metallic flavor is dim to his tongue.

Cold. All warmth is gone. He wonders if the warmth left with his blood or if the winter river pushed in the cold. Both his mind whispers.

Death. He prays for death to spare him. With so many of his comrades slain around him he hopes death find his soul to be one too many.

Death. He prays for death to take him. The agony is unbearable, but he fears the numbness creeping into him more. He fears forgetting... forgetting who?

What? Why? How?

How did he fall? He remembers the sun had barely risen and sleet poured when the Carthaginians attacked. Sempronius ordered the chase. With haste, they leaped off of their beds and threw on their armor. They waded across the freezing river. The wet and cold clung to them after they crossed and their armor heavy on their shoulders. Then a lumbering bulk emerges from the fog of war. A creature larger than he had ever seen lumbered towards their formation. Its distended snout lets loose a trumpeting cry and its long white tusks shone menacingly to his eyes.

Then his horror rises to a crescendo. There were more of the beasts before them.

He remembers hope. A faint hope sparks in his soul as their formation holds against the assault.

That hope dies when he realizes their enemy cavalry drove away theirs and that they are surrounded. They had fallen to ambush and thousands were slaughtered.

Death. He prays for death to take him. The agony is unbearable, but he fears the numbness creeping into him more. He fears forgetting... forgetting who?

* * *

Zoe's abrupt escape from the nightmare is silent. She does not startle. She does not scream. Her eyes snap open and her body tenses but that is all.

For a second she lays still, eyes staring at the silken roof above her, her heart running a marathon and her lungs rapid. She reigns her breathing to slow.

Where did that come from?

Footsteps steal her attention away from grim thoughts of fighting elephants. Thalia is outside her tent. She rises up and dresses up. By the time Thalia decides to enter Zoe's posture is proud and straight. She gives Thalia a nod acknowledging it's her turn to rest.

Thalia shakes her head.

For the first time, Zoe notices Thalia's wide eyes and ashen complexion. Before Zoe can ask Thalia answers.

"He- He wants to meet." Who? But Thalia's lips form no words and stay agape. The daughter of Zeus collapses to sit, her form trembling, and Zoe catches her under her shoulders. Zoe can feel the Thalia's quickened pulse against her hands as the girl steadies herself. Zoe's eyes roam Thalia's form searching for injury but there is none. Her eyes gaze into Thalia to ask again.

It is Daedalus who gives a name. He half enters the tent and gives her a measured look. His next words echo in her ears.

"Hades."


	28. 1028: Zoe and Thalia

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Zoe and Thalia|-

* * *

Daedalus looks at the scene before him and decides to give the two girls some space. He'd occupy himself outside the tent with some planning and perhaps weasel some information from the Fury waiting for their compliance.

Zoe's eyes stare into Thalia's with concern. It's clear the young teen is uncertain and afraid. No one can blame her. Hades, the god of the Underworld, had sent an army of monsters to kill the daughter of Zeus. Thalia's journey to Camp Half-Blood and her journey in this quest was harsher and more dangerous as a result.

Thalia's wardrobe of black, metal-studded leather, her headstrong and assertive attitude, her prowess in combat, and her status Zeus' offspring gave her an imposing facade. Watery, searching eyes on her pale face and the slight tremble Thalia fails to suppress remind Zoe that Thalia is unlike her immortal sisters of the Hunt. Thalia doesn't just _look_ twelve. She_ is_ twelve. No amount of leather or power can change the fact that Thalia is still a child.

The impulse to protect Thalia, to hug her as a mother would her young, grips Zoe but she refrains. Young Thalia is, but fragile she is not. She is too much like her father to accept such coddling.

Instead, Zoe grips Thalia's shoulders and gives her a nod, an acknowledgment. And a reassurance that she is not weak for her fear. Thalia draws a shuddering breath. When she exhales she gives a shaky nod and a small smile. Fear and uncertainty remain but a glint of determination shines in her blue eyes.

When Daedalus spots them exiting the tent a minute later, Zoe carrying a still unconscious Shinobu, he closes his laptop and moves towards them. He raises a finger to his lips and gives each of them a small black pellet. His action obscured from the yellow eyes of the Fury behind him. Zoe and Thalia give each other a sidewise glance as they pocket it but remain silent. Zoe set Shinobu on the ground then packs the tent back into a square no larger than a pack of chewing gum.

When she finishes, she sees Daedalus placing Shinobu's weapon straps back to the girl. "I, Quintus, will carry her to Hades." Both she and Thalia raise a brow at the pseudonym but neither voices the obvious question. The answer to why Daedalus, who avoided mortality, avoided giving his real name to the Fury, a monster serving the Lord of the Dead, is an easy deduction.

The Fury flies above them with its leathery wings as it leads them deeper into the Pits of Punishment. Zoe contemplates shooting down the monster with her bow. Her eyes dart to Daedalus whose gaze shifts from the bat-like monster and their surroundings. The coward that he is if escape is the best chance for survival then Daedalus would have done so.

She worries that his chosen alternative is treachery but pushes back the thought. If it comes to that, she is confident the lethality of her aim will outmatch his cunning. But for now, paranoia will only hinder her focus.

"At least two left and one right of us. Definitely three behind us." Daedalus' whisper is almost inaudible against the screams of torment that grows louder as they walk but his warning echoes in her mind like a thunderstorm. She makes a show of yawning and stretching her arms. as her eyes scan the area to confirm his words. "Don't bother looking. Listen."

"I'll take your word for it." His automaton ears must have enhanced hearing. She can't hear Thalia's footsteps the feet ahead of them over the wailing.

Her face contorts to a frown. The form Daedalus created for himself looks so realistic that the thought of Daedalus giving it enhancements hadn't crossed her mind. Was sensory perception the only advantage it has to mortal bodies? Did he also give it enhanced strength or speed? He didn't partake much in the earlier fights. Was he hiding his combat capabilities? Suddenly, her earlier bravado against his possible betrayal seems shortsighted.

Her finger traces the tiny orb in her pant's pocket and wonders if she can trust Daedalus enough to keep it on her person. For all she knew, it could be a trap and explode her limbs off. Her eyes turn to Daedalus in suspicion. His eyes meet hers and regard her with a raised brow. She snaps her gaze away and her hair whips across her face with her head's quick turn. In haste, she pulls back her hair and reties her ponytail.

Her hands busy with her hair and her mind a whirl of scattered thoughts, she misses her companions' sudden halt. It takes her four steps before her mind registers she is the only one walking. She stops but does not turn, intent on using her back to hide her embarrassed expression. As she schools her features back to that befitting her position as Artemis' lieutenant, her eyes roam the landscape in front of her.

She stands three steps away from the edge of a small cliff. Below it toiled three dozen souls under the watchful gaze and fiery whip of another Fury. Armed with broken shovels, sheets of metal, and bare hands they dig against hard earth.

Zoe turns around, her expression neutral despite tens of questions in her head. She spots the skeletal warriors Daedalus spoke of far behind them closing in. Any thoughts of fighting to escape if the situation became sour dies when she realizes these warriors are armed with rifles and wore armored vests. At best, she could entice those souls working under the Fury to riot and Shinobu wakes up and repeats her small miracle against skeletal warriors.

Thalia attempts to mimic Zoe's outward demeanor with some success though Daedalus makes no attempt to hide his intrigue at the excavation. "I'm guessing we are near the edge of the Fields of Punishment and this area is still under construction." Thalia and Zoe roll their eyes at Daedalus, 'Quintus', stating the obvious. "I'd imagine, like the rest of the underworld, the influx of the dead has spurred a lot of expansions and renovations." The Fury gives the statement but otherwise remains silent. "Considering the circumstances, I don't understand why you'd slow the entire process down by using subpar equipment. This is especially confusing considering you got a perfectly functioning digger at your disposal."

Zoe takes a second look and spots the digger near some boulders though 'perfectly functioning' is far from accurate. The amount of rust on the machine camouflages it with the reddish tint of the rocks. The Fury gives her response to Daedalus with a malicious grin. "It would not be much of a punishment if we made their tasks easy now, would it?" Daedalus' expression tells the winged monster he is unconvinced. "That aside, if you're too blind or stupid to tell, we have a situation. Transport of proper workers, materials, and equipment into the Fields of Punishment is difficult. That includes fuel and electricity."

"Electricity?"

"Yes. That digger is a hybrid." The Fury chuckles at their incredulous faces. "It's an offering by a child of Hephaestus." Her cruel tone and smirk tell them it's not a story they want to hear. "Back to the point. That's your path to Hades." And of course, Hades can't be bothered to go to them. "That is unless you're willing to be carried by us and take to the air." No. Thalia would rather try to fight through the riot than take that option. Besides, they doubt two Furies will be able to carry four all four of them over the Fields of Punishment at the same time. Separation in hostile territory is not acceptable. "In a week they'll have opened a path through. A day if the battery we've ordered gets through the chaos and reaches, though transport will take at least three days."

"Wait. A week? We don't have the time!" They need to rescue Gleeson. A lot can happen in seven days. The Fury's amused grin shuts Thalia up. Unless she has a better idea, she'll need to take her complaints up with Hades. "You said the digger can run on electricity, right? Why not let me power it up?" She can't call lightning from underground but she can still create a strong enough charge on her own.

"No doubt you are powerful, daughter of Zeus, but you do not have the control. If we were to let you use your powers on that machine, you will fry its circuits. The battery will be useless if you toast the machine." Thalia reddens, turns away, and crosses her arms.

A short silence pervades the group before the Fury leads them down by a steep stairway carved cliffside. "That's your lodging for the week." The monster directs them into a man-made cave by its wall. "You should be thankful we were courteous and prepared it to be hospitable." Inside the cave, they can see it has basic amenities such as two single beds, three drums of water, a tub, and a table. It even has small non-essentials items such as a rug; a vase with dead flowers, a handful of books, and three reading lamps, two are non-functioning electric lamps and one is a lit oil-based lamp.

They all get a bath. Daedalus goes first so he can leave the cave. Thalia is next. Zoe shares hers with Shinobu so she can give the unconscious girl one. They went to bed. The whole ordeal is a lot to take in, and they decided sleep would be the best next course of action. Tomorrow, they'll deal with the situation with fresher minds. It makes the short nap Zoe took seem pointless but then again that nightmare didn't give much as a recharge.

Daedalus volunteers to dry the tub and use it as his makeshift bed. They give Shinobu a bed. That leaves one bed for Thalia and Zoe to decide on. Zoe is about to volunteer to take watch. They don't need to take shifts with all the skeletons watching guard over the area. They'd doubt Hades would go through all the trouble of this just to take them in their sleep. It's Zoe's excuse to give Thalia the bed as Zoe at least had the luxury of a nap earlier. Though the nightmare didn't help Zoe recharge back then.

Instead, Thalia sits on the floor and takes a lamp and examines it. Perplexed, Zoe does not take the bed but instead sits on the floor with Thalia. "What are you doing?" Thalia does not respond and instead takes her time with the lamp before unscrewing its lightbulb. Realization strikes Zoe, and she snatches the bulb away from Thalia to the girl's surprise. Zoe interrupts before the protest leaves the girl's mouth. "I know what you are trying to do. You're trying to prove her wrong and you're using this lightbulb as a guinea pig." Thalia nods and reaches for the bulb but Zoe pulls it away. "Stop. If you're wrong, you'll be down a bulb and if you try again and fail you'll have no way to test your control properly."

"Well. What else am I supposed to use? It's not like we have another way to check."

"Not quite." Daedalus' voice echoes from the tub. "Both those lamps use 230-volt incandescent light bulbs. Voltages below about 500–700 volts cannot produce easily visible sparks or glows in air at atmospheric pressure. If you make a spark in the air, it is already too much power for those bulbs."

Thalia and Zoe look at each other. It sounded like a plan. If Thalia could learn to control her electrokinesis, she might get the digger working, they can shave a week off. The faster they get to Hades, the faster they can try to save Gleeson.


	29. 1029: Journey to Hades

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Journey|-

* * *

She sits up into the waking world with a sudden gasp. Thalia wipes the sweat from her forehead as the wind dries her back. She ignores the pickup truck's bumpy drive speeding through the rocky terrain. Her nightmare taking all of her attention. It's not the first time she's had the nightmare. Every time it starts with her standing in an open field or on top of a building. The wind rushes up and her feet lift from the ground, disorientation follows, falling through clouds, then waking before she crashes into the calmest, bright-blue sea.

She hopes they are simple dreams and not a sign of things to come. Demigods often have dreams of importance, showing a message from someone else, or possible future outcomes. She's almost glad she's in the Underworld where a fall through the clouds is the least likely cause of death.

Thalia shakes her morbid thoughts aside and looks around in search of a distraction. She makes out the back of her skeletal driver through a broken rear window. In front of her pickup is another which carries Zoe and Daedalus. Both vehicles are in such disrepair that Thalia wonders how they can run at all. Thankfully, both have long cargo areas where they could rest while the in transit.

Her control took all day before both Daedalus and Zoe deemed it acceptable to attempt powering the digger but not before insisting she sleep before the attempt. A good idea in hindsight as she had to power the digger all day. The overall drain and the constant focus took a lot out of her and she fell asleep as soon as she lay in the truck.

She looks down beside her at Shinobu still deep in slumber. None of them have any idea on the cause of the blonde's condition. When they were busy traversing the Fields of Punishment, it didn't take priority. It was a problem to be solved for later when they didn't have to worry about surviving a possible battle or ambush. Now, with no immediate danger, the implications slowly dawns on her. When was the last time Shinobu ate?

She shakes her head. No. She's being silly. They fed her some rations after her practice with the bulbs and again before they moved her into the truck. How could she forget? Shinobu almost bit off Zoe's fingers on both occasions.

A small smile forms on Thalia's lips. No matter what, they'll get through this alive and well.

Thalia raises her hand to eye level. Sparks jump from one fingertip to another. The sparks shrink in size and Thalia focuses until none appear though her hand stays charged. Two promises in her mind.

First, she'll protect her comrades even if she has to bring the Underworld down with her.

Second, after this is over, she'll grow stronger until she can do that literally rather than figuratively.

And since she's got nothing better to do she might as well get a head start on the second part.

While Thalia practices her control on her electrokinesis, Zoe and Daedalus make their own preparations.

"Are you sure it is safe to talk?" Zoe clenches her fist at the annoyed sigh Daedalus gives to her question. It's not a stupid question! They are out in the open in the pickup and a Fury is escorting them fifteen feet above and three feet to their right. He then startles her by shouting his real name. Before the question can escape her she stops herself and gives a grunt instead. If he's so confident to risk discovery with that demonstration then she won't bother. Even if he's wrong, nothing she says will change his mind.

"As much as it pains me to admit it, our best hope is on Hades being generous or at least reasonable." She nods. Her own experience confirms his words. "When it comes to them, one's second greatest factor for survival rests on the god's or goddesses' fickle mood." Zoe rolls her eyes at Daedalus' redundancy but stops halfway. Second? Her eyes narrow at his deliberate choice of words to let her know he spoke of both male and female. His implication clear. Daedalus gives a grim smile at her reaction. "The first greatest is to not be noticed by them at all."

Her right hand lashes out and grabs the front of his shirt and her left hovers over the dagger on her belt. "It's nice to know even the infamous Daedalus has his bouts of stupidity." She will not take such heresy against her goddess lightly! "Artemis hath given her Hunters immortality and hath endowed her blessing upon them!" Her control slips and her strange accent escapes her.

As she attempts to compose herself Daedalus elaborates. "Common wisdom ties a demigod's tendency for shorter lifespans to their fatal flaw. It's an inaccurate assessment from my experience." Zoe restrains her murderous urge and pushes Daedalus back. She turns her head and body away from him, unwilling to listen to more of his lies. "An equal factor to their early demise is their closeness to the divine. Gods interact with demigods more often than they do mortals." His words venom on her ears. "Favor with the gods can be as lethal as their wrath. Paris was doomed to tragedy the moment Zeus chose him as the arbiter to the three goddesses."

"_Yes_. It's Arte- the _gods_' fault so many demigods die." Her sarcasm does not flow as well with her little slip. Her words are slow and measured but the anger in her tone punches through perfectly. "Let's forget about monsters. You know? The 'archetypes', born from the Chaos and Barbarism that always exist in the Western Civilization? The ones that can track and hunt demigods by scent?"

"Perhaps you are correct." Daedalus better conveys his own sarcasm with a light veil. "She is _generous_, is she not?" She doesn't answer his rhetoric. "Your _master_ does not discriminate when selecting _strays _to join her litter of puppies." In a rush of rage, she turns, grabs his shirt with clenched fists, and slams him down the back of the pickup. "She allows mortals, demigods, and even nymphs to become _pets_."

"Get to thy point!" The faster he got to it the sooner they can end this 'conversation'. The faster he can justify her throwing him over the road and emptying her quiver into his skull.

"With so many she's granted '_immortality_' to, how many of your precious hunters are left?" What? "Millions? Thousands? Hundreds? Tell me. How many of your sisters have-"

The wind rushing against her ears muffles the impact of her fist to his face and his head bouncing against the truck. That or the surge of blood to her head deafened her like it numbs the pain in her hand. The red hot fury overflows screaming and two more blows strike the mechanical man before the third misses synthetic flesh and slams against steel. She bites back the pained yelp but cradles her broken hand in reflex. A smug satisfaction washes over her when her blurry eyes see him flinch at the fist-sized dent beside him.

Boiling rage simmers and traces of emotions enter and mingle into confusion. Why? What was the point? Surely he knows she would never turn on her goddess. Anger threatens to surge back, but she suppresses it. By all rights, she should repeat her assault with a dagger in hand but...

She pulls Daedalus up and gives him a threatening glare. "You're lucky you're more useful alive than dead right now but the next time... the next time... I will make sure your fourth is also your last." She doesn't wait for his response before she slams him down then returns to her side of the truck facing away from him.

Unwilling to acknowledge the tears in her eyes, she lets the wind wipe them away, her arms wrapped around her knees.

* * *

-|Hades|-

* * *

Thalia looks up at the black obsidian and black marble palace. "Ominous but stereotypical." She grimaces when her attempt to lighten the mood receives no reply. "Okay. What's up? Both of you have been acting weird since we stopped at the garage." The question gives them pause but neither gives an immediate answer. She waits but the awkward silence lengthens. "Fine! You know what? I don't care right now. Make sure whatever this is it doesn't get in the way if things go sideways."

"Oh, you shouldn't worry about that because the Fates _apparently_ doomed us the moment Hades noticed us." Zoe's sarcastic barb at Daedalus catches Thalia's attention but she doesn't have time dig deeper into it as skeletal servants usher them inside.

To her surprise, they are not led into the throne room for an audience with Hades nor to the dungeon. All four of them stand inside a four-bed guest room with a door large enough to two elephants, one standing on the other, pass through. A servant hands Daedalus a note. His face unreadable as he reads it. Thalia snatches it from him and scans its contents. "So he calls us here and now he wants us to wait for who knows how long."

Daedalus chuckles in amusement to her complaint. "Relax." She can't. "Considering what we saw in the Fields of Punishment, it should be no surprise if he is busy. It's also possible he did not expect us so soon. It was only thanks to you that we could get here so soon after all." She nods at his logic and hides the smile from her face upon hearing his compliment.

It turns out they didn't have to wait for long as a servant arrived after an hour telling them to be ready. Thalia expected for them to be lead to Hades. She is surprised when fifteen minutes later the door opens and they come face to face with the God of the Underworld himself. Or face to the knee as he stands about twenty feet in height.

He strides forward to the center of the room and with each step his form shrinks until he is human-sized though he remains tall and imposing. The thick black robes do little to hide his muscular physique and contrast with his white skin. Most intimidating of all are his pitch eyes that flare with purple fire through his dark shoulder length hair.

"I am a busy god so I will get to the chase." His tone leaves no room for discussion. He will speak, they will hear, and they will obey. "You should know by now of the riot in the Fields of Punishment but that is but a tip of the iceberg. The whole Underworld is in disarray and you will fix it." A bubble of anger rises in Thalia but she kills it in its infancy. There's no point in committing suicide.

A pause lingers as Hades' gaze shifts and dulls as if lost in thought. "Hellhounds." Daedalus' voice startles both Thalia and Zoe. Hades' eyes snap to focus. Thalia's heart skips a beat. After a pause Hades nods then his eyes roam over the four of them before stopping and becoming distant once again. He motions for Daedalus to continue. Daedalus does though he averts his eyes from the god and instead directs his explanation to Thalia and Zoe. "All the time we spent in the Fields of Punishment, not one hellhound was in sight. Strange as they are creatures of the Underworld. Stranger still considering the riot. One would assume they would be among Hades' forces attempting to corral the prisoners." He gives the explanation as if it were a lecture but Thalia can see the nervous glance he sends to the Hades at every pause. Hades gives no sign he has heard anything.

Suddenly, Hades walks forward. For a brief second all of Thalia's thoughts are telling her to run but her body is immobile. In desperation, she channels a current in burns the tip of her pinky. Pain brings clarity, but she remains still and instead opts to observe the situation. Realization strikes. He is headed for Shinobu! Thalia moves to act but Daedalus stops her with a hand on her shoulder. Before she can react to that, Zoe is in front Shinobu's bed.

Zoe's stance is not aggressive nor defensive but relaxed. There's nothing they can do against Hades if he wishes to harm any of them but the sight of her act seems to break Hades from his trance.

He chuckles. "Relax. As Daedalus has already surmised, I have no intention of harming any of you." Daedalus stiffens at the mention of his name though he shows no surprise that the god knows of his identity. Hades turns to Thalia the soft glow in his eyes turns into ferocious infernos. "Oh, I would relish the chance to kill you, daughter of Zeus!"

The blaze dims then his appearance shifts. His demeanor relaxes and his attire morphs into a dark suit, a platinum black tie, and a gray undershirt. "But there are much larger concerns to be addressed." The sudden change is unnerving. "Hellhounds are an important part of the Underworld. Some of my tortures involve them. They track escapees, guard certain areas, and are useful in a show of force." As well as a means to get indirect revenge on gods by killing their innocent children, Thalia thought bitterly. "Find them and return them. If you succeed, I will grant you safe passage out of the Underworld."

A strange smile spreads on his face. "As a gesture of good faith, I will help your friend." In an instant, he vanishes into his own shadows and appears next to Shinobu. His dips his hand through her chest and Shinobu arcs as he pulls. All three demigods tense, uncertain of what is happening. His fist leaves her chest and thin rays of light slip between his closed fingers. Shinobu is still. "Souls." He opens his hand and in his palm are two tiny luminous spheres that glow like miniature suns.

The light they radiate is no brighter than a candle's and yet it hurts her eyes to look at them directly. "This." He plucks one from his palm with his left. "Belongs to me." The god tucks the orb into his breast pocket. "And hers, I will fix." The orb remaining in his palm flickers then shines brighter than before. Brighter than both orbs previously. As he returns the orb back into Shinobu he hesitates and opens his mouth as if to speak. Then his form shifts back to its previous form and continues returning the soul as if nothing had happened.

Then, he was gone.


	30. 1030: Bad News

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Bad News|-

* * *

"...And I'll give her some food; And pussy will love me because I am good. I'll pat pretty pussy..."

"What are you doing?" Zoe jumps at the groggy inquiry much to Thalia's amusement. Zoe restrains herself from putting the book in front of her face. The act would reveal the embarrassment the darkness hid. She stutters to say it was nothing but stops midway and gathers her composure. She's making a bigger deal of this than it needs to be.

"I'm practicing my English." She pauses for a second. Her tone is too monotone and serves to draw attention to her discomfort. "Your stupid language keeps changing." The anger in her voice is unintentional, but she doesn't mind the slip. It's a lot more dignified than stuttering. "It's hard to get used to for immortals such as myself." She could go on for hours at how illogical English changes but it would come off as a childish rant.

"I suppose the isolation doesn't help." Thalia's off-handed remark catches Zoe off guard. She never considered the Hunters of Artemis to be isolated. They interacted with the mortal world well enough and recruited often in her opinion. Yet doubt creeps at the edge of her forethoughts. The reason she has trouble keeping up with the language is because she hasn't updated her vocabulary through use. She has interacted little with modern people of her physical age. But other hunters don't have the same trouble she has. Is she isolated from them as well?

Thalia lays a hand on her shoulder in concern of her silence and Zoe shakes her head at her own silly thoughts. Daedalus is getting to her. She shouldn't let a foolish man's words take root in her subconscious. "So. How come you're not pestering me with joining your group?" Zoe gives Thalia's change of subject a small smile in gratitude. "I get that Artemis is sick and in a bad mood or something. But I helped get the hunters some special deer horns and they'll mix something up she'll get better, right?"

Zoe gives a rueful shake of her head. "There's no guarantee Phoebe's concoction will help. It's not even meant for goddesses." She motions for Thalia to sit beside her. Explaining might take a while. "Do you remember Asclepius?" Thalia frowns in thought for a moment then gives a short nod in recollection. "Yes. The son of Apollo who found a cure for death. Well, he didn't get the cure for death in one try and he had other experiments that were less successful but still brilliant. One of them was a cure-all that didn't require gorgon blood. Better yet, it's supposed to work for non-humans. Though how Phoebe got Asclepius' formula, I don't-"

"She didn't." Zoe glares at Daedalus' interruption. The man responds with a mocking grin. "And yes, I have been awake during your pitiful attempt at a nursery rhyme." For a man so fearing death, he sure likes tempting her to homicidal rage. "Following Asclepius' footsteps is a logical undertaking when attempting to extend one's mortality. That particular formula is of no use to me. It only works for immortals and there is no safe way to test if my automaton body drops me from the 'mortal' category."

"How are you sure it will work?" Daedalus gives an incredulous huff at Zoe's question. She was more than fine with the formula when she believed it was Phoebe's. When she finds out it is his, a more credible expert in such matters? She doubts! "Phoebe's a hunter. She would never even consider a plan if it had the slightest risk of a negative side-effect to our goddess."

"Then she would never put forth a plan till her dying breath. All medicine has risks." His tone is matter-of-fact but he raises his hands in a placating gesture. "There has been records of it working on an immortal before. Though the details of who and when are lost to time the descriptions of the ailment and the formula's effects are thorough."

Even if it works as a cure-all there is the philosophical question of what constitutes as a cure-all. In more practical terms, what did the creator consider as a cure-all? When it heals a wound, does it leave a scar or does it consider the scar an affliction to be cured as well? Is age considered by its creator as a disease? Will it force its drinker to their physical prime? What about genetics? For a person born without limbs will it grow new limbs? If it works on genetic defects, to what extent does it consider a genetic flaw. If they were short would it grow them taller? What about what many would consider aesthetic traits like hair, eye, and skin color. Does this extend to the most superficial 'flaw' like a broken nail?

All very interesting questions but none he can voice in front of Artemis' lieutenant. While he is not sure to what extent it will work, he is certain it will take care of whatever ailment afflicts the moon goddess. And speaking of interesting things...

"I believe this will be a good time to inform you of my plans to stay here while both of you search for your satyr friend." He holds a palm up and halts their questions and protest. "I have worse news to tell you." He continued before Zoe can make a snide remark about his absence not being bad news. "I have checked with my computer and checked it against a map of the Underworld. Gleeson is no longer in Hades' realm." Zoe gives a gasp and Thalia's eyes bounce between them confused.

Zoe asks her question but her eyes are on Thalia. She already knows she is correct.

"You mean Gleeson is in Tartarus."

* * *

-|Answers|-

* * *

Daedalus leaves the pair to mull over his revelation. He understands they are emotional at the moment so he ignores their accusation of his cowardice. Their impossible mission becomes more perilous with his news. They are also not incorrect. A partial reason for staying is fear for his own life. But it is not his sole reason.

His main reason is arguably more suicidal. He wishes to talk to Hades. There are too many questions he wants to ask. A good deal of which pertain to the petite blonde who has been unconscious for a good while. He was-

The sudden impact from behind sends both him and his assailant to the floor with a clatter.

Speak of the devil.

Said assailant is none other than Shinobu. The blonde on top of him lets out a melodious giggle as she stands. She's not wearing her weapons and her orange Camp Half-Blood shirt is tied around her waist. Spots of orange paint stain her white undershirt and jeans. His eyes note the empty can of paint rolling on the floor beside him. "Please tell me you didn't vandalize Hades' palace."

Her nervous laughter does little to reassure him. "It's not vandalism if it's for a prank." A prank?! On second thought, perhaps a stroll through Tartarus will be beneficial to his health. "Besides, orange is an upgrade. This place is too boring." Oh the gods, she is serious. The entire situation is too surreal. The shock is so strong he doesn't remember standing up. "You can let go of my hand now." He jolts his right arm back as if burned and her laughter echoes through the hall. His mind is foggy, but he deduces she pulled him up.

"Don't you have any idea whose palace this is?" She shakes her head. It doesn't matter. He doubts Hades is in the mood to forgive her ignorance. "This is Hades' property." Her blank expression is not unexpected. So far she has shown a great deal of ignorance of the mythic world. "He's the ruler of the Underworld." Her expression remains uncomprehending, ignorant of the implications of his words. "He'll smite you. The gods don't have much of a sense of humor when the joke is on themselves."

Shinobu shrugs at his warning without care but stops midway and directs her gaze to the door where Zoe and Thalia are. "He's not the kind of guy to take it out on someone else, right?" He smiles at her concern for her friends and mulls over her question. Technically, Hades was that kind of person. A recent example is his actions towards Thalia. But that's because he can't take it out on Zeus himself. Gods are forbidden to war with each other and thus seek retribution through indirect means. He doesn't have much evidence of Hades being indirect with mortals, though.

"I am uncertain but I don't believe he'll hurt your friends for your actions." Perhaps Hades will use it as an excuse against Thalia but there is no need to worry the blonde either way. "But with the recent chaos he is dealing with, you'll have to talk to Hades to make sure he does not take it the wrong way. I'll go with you." It's official. This automaton body is defective. Personalities, moods, and actions are not the sole result of the brain. Glands, hormones, even the bacteria that live in humans affect the body's chemistry which affects minds. There is no other explanation to his recent temptings of fate.

"Do you have any idea where this Hades guy is?" That gives Daedalus pause. Firstly, no he doesn't. He has some idea on where he might be but it's also possible they'd be looking for hours then find out he isn't in the castle. Secondly, it skipped his mind that Shinobu has never met Hades as she was unconscious when the God of the Dead aided her. And on that note...

"You were unconscious for a while." Shinobu raises her brow at the change of topic but gives a nod in response. "Hades healed you, 'as a gesture of good faith'. Explain to me what knocked you out and what exactly Hades did." Her face contorts to a light grimace as she thinks on her answer. The time it takes for her to ready her response fans the embers of curiosity within Daedalus.

"It's difficult to explain since you aren't shinobi." That word again. He is certain her definition of some words differs from his but their discussion of the matter before did little to illuminate. He motions for her to continue. "Remember how I told you chakra combines from spiritual and physical energy? And how I was trying to separate chakra down to those two parts because my chakra is acting weird?" He nods. Though, already he is lost in her explanation. "Well. I did it. I got the two to separate and learned to control them. Kinda."

It pains Daedalus to admit it but he has been a hypocrite in mocking Zoe's English. His Japanese is in a similar state. It has been so long ago since he has visited Japan to investigate the mysteries of the Labyrinth. Languages change and he has not bothered to keep up with that language. He'll give himself the excuse that, unlike Zoe and English, Japanese is not a western language and has little practical purpose for him. The Japanese he knows is limited either way as his vocabulary contains basic conversational words and little else.

"Spiritual chakra isn't useful on its own, though. Kind of. Maybe it can be used for something? If it is, I don't know yet. I'll meditate and train more when I have more time." She trails off and whispers something about duplicates and shadows before going back on topic. "Anyway, I remembered Nagato's Human Path doing a soul sucky thing-y. I can't copy his technique, and I don't even know how he did it, but it gave me an idea. I mixed a tiny amount of nature chakra with the spiritual chakra so I could extend it beyond my body."

He didn't understand half of what she said but it sounds to him like she accomplished something complicated. "You came up with all of these theories in energy manipulation between our talk in the hunter's camp and the fight with the skeletal warriors?" He knew enough to be impressed with how far she's gotten in such a short time frame.

"Actually, no." She scratches the back of her head and gives an embarrassed chuckle. "It sort of came to me while I was lying down after that explosion knocked me down." That entire moment couldn't have taken more than ten minutes, half an hour if he was extremely generous. He does not hide the disbelief from his face though she does not notice as she doesn't look at his direction and instead looks down poking her fingers. "I know it's stupid to use an untested technique in combat. But we were desperate, right? And..." And? "And I was too excited and couldn't wait." She mumbles that last line with speed.

"So it was this... 'spirit weapon', soul energy and natural energy combined, is what you used which took down the skeletal warriors." She nods. "How?"

"Well, they're made of spirit energy mixed with nature chakra too." What? "The spooky transparent ghost thing they had?" He nods for her to continue though inside he cringes at her poor vocabulary. "It's air. Spiritual energy is derived from the mind's consciousness and can be increased through studying, meditation, and experience." She tells this akin to a student reciting from a book. He wonders if she understands half of the words she said. "Memory. Spiritual energy remembers how they used to be but it can't do anything on its own. They also don't have much of a body so they don't have physical energy."

"So this soul energy mixes with the natural energy around them, mostly air, and creates a false body." She gives him a thumbs up for his deduction. "And I'm guessing your attacks infused your own mix through them and dispersed theirs."

"Not quite correct." Both Shinobu and Daedalus jump and the new voice, despite its soft tone. Hades. He chuckles in amusement at Shinobu's defensive stance. Daedalus admits he envies her quick reflex but it won't do for her to attack the god. He's uncertain if Hades would find a punch to the face amusing. He places a hand on her shoulder and does his best to hide his own fear of the god.

"He's Hades. The god who helped you." She relaxes outwardly but he can see she is ready to spring into action at any moment.

"Now. That's not quite correct either. I prefer Pluto, and we have to talk."


	31. 1031: Death Deals

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Death Deals|-

* * *

Shinobu has to admit her comment on the palace being boring is incorrect. The rooms made of gold and silver they pass by are eye catching. Precious stones decorate almost everything. Not even the daimyo of the Land of Fire can afford such extravagance. She wishes she can run around and explore instead of the slow walk the three of them have settled into.

Besides her is Daedalus busy with the laptop he pulled out of nowhere. She would have a peek at what he is doing, but she has no means of doing so without standing on the tips of her toes. She is not in the mood for his inevitable teasing of her lack of height.

In front of her is their host. Daedalus introduced him as Hades but he called himself Pluto. What was that about? Pluto himself is busy with a phone in his ear.

When she was younger, mentally, she would have found the situation unappealing and would have taken off and gotten in trouble. That she is in physical adolescence does not change her experience as an adult. More pertinent is that she has the experience as a Hokage, the leader of her village. Shinobu can sympathize with Pluto going from one call to another, busy with his duties, whatever they were. She also doesn't want to stir trouble and risk getting into deeper trouble with her prank.

Thus, Shinobu keeps silent and restrains herself from enacting another prank that would have been much harder to pass up when she was still in the academy. Instead, she busies her mind by observing Pluto. Silver lines his dark blue-gray suit accentuates his silver ring and tie. She isn't much for fashion but she is a shinobi and a lot can be told by what a man wears. This tells her the man is rich.

...

Okay, she's not good at deducing information from clothing. Besides, the suit makes her uncomfortable. A close look makes it seem as if tortured souls are attempting to escape from the fabric. Ghosts may not scare her as much now but that doesn't mean she doesn't find the imagery creepy. Hence why her gaze bounces away from the ghastly servants they pass by every minute or two. She tries not to, though.

Shinobu can't pass judgment on these creatures or the man who rules over them. She has to acknowledge that she is in another world whose rules can differ vastly from her own. They might not be ghosts at all but appear like how ghosts are depicted in her world. They might have a bloodline limit or they might be another race of beings altogether. She doesn't want to be rude and avoid looking at them and pretend they aren't there. She has enough experience being on that end herself.

Her eyes drift away from his clothing and onto his complexion which contrasts with his long black hair. The pale skin with its light blue tint makes him appear like a walking corpse. She wonders if he is human but ignores the thought for now. There is no point speculating though she can't help how the way he talks reminds her of Orochimaru. They don't have the same voice or tone but their words both flow like oil. She bets both of them can sell sand to a man stranded in the desert. That the snake summoner also had a pale complexion doesn't help nor did the mad, fiery cinder behind Pluto's eyes.

The pale man does not lead them to the throne room. The location they are in is rather small and the most unimpressive room she's seen so far. Oh, it is still lavishly decorated but the layer of dust dims the gems sparkles and the black marble is far from pristine. Many of the furniture are under tarps. One side of the wall has a small indoor scaffolding.

Pluto snaps his fingers and the chandelier, too large to be practical for this small room, flickers to life with a bright but eerie glow. The shadows stretching from the light somehow make the room seem darker as ridiculous as that sounds to herself. The light makes the carvings of vines and flowers more prominent. With a wave of his hands the trap flies way from three black seats. Shinobu lifts her undershirt over her nose, though the dust thrown into the air affects neither Daedalus nor Pluto. Lucky them.

Daedalus snaps the laptop shut and places it on top of the glass table as he sits down. He keeps his back straight and his hands on his lap but she notices his fingers twitch. Daedalus is eager to talk but waits for Pluto's lead. Pluto has his back away from them and faces a small bookshelf. His hands trace the back of one book to another. Daedalus' right hand drums on his left without a sound. His impatience is infectious but Shinobu restrains herself.

"Can we get on with it already!" _Tried_ to restrain herself.

Daedalus' posture collapses into a slouch and palms his face at her outburst. Pluto spins and fixes her with a glare. She lets out an eep and her cheeks warm in embarrassment. So much for a previous Hokage's maturity. The slight smirk at the edge of Pluto's lips doesn't help. It's amazing how he can maintain both a stern and amused expression at the same time.

"Yes. Let's 'get on with it' starting with that little act of vandalism on one hundred eighty-eight of my palace's rooms." Shinobu winces at that. Daedalus looks at her wide-eyed and mouths the number twice before his face returns to his palms. Shinobu in a moment of clarity chooses not to correct Pluto's declaration and state that she did one hundred eighty-nine. "I'm not even going to ask how you accomplished such a task in less than a day." There is a slight tinge of respect in his voice for the feat.

The answer is clones, but Pluto's statement reminds her that chakra techniques might not be common in this universe. Shinobu keeps that bit of info to herself. A few aces in her sleeve is never a bad thing. Though keeping that secret is a great boon strategically, Shinobu's first reason is rather mundane. Pranks. If they don't know she can be in two places, they won't suspect mischief if she or one of her copies is visible during the deed.

What? Being a responsible Hokage doesn't leave much room for such and she kinda missed it! "You will fix all one hundred eighty-eight rooms before you embark to Tartarus." Though she doesn't miss having to deal with the consequences when she gets caught. "That's three days from now." An impossible task even with clones. As she is, Shinobu can't make over five and they don't last long. She's already exhausted tired with just two.

"If I may suggest an idea?" Daedalus speaks with trepidation. Pluto nods for him to continue. "Perhaps we can get Thalia and Zoe to help." Pluto's eyes glow though he motions for Daedalus to continue. "It might ease Hades' ire." Shinobu can't help feeling she is missing something in their exchange. "The Underworld needs his undivided attention and one less distraction will help with that." So is Hades like a co-ruler or something? Or were they married and they are king and king instead of king and queen? Or twins! Daedalus mistook Pluto for Hades earlier.

"Hm. The idea has merit. I will allow it." Daedalus relaxes at that. Though Shinobu is curious who Hades is and what his grievance against Thalia is. "With that transgression out of the way, let's talk about yours." Daedalus stiffens. "I do not appreciate being cheated." Pluto's glare kills the protest at Daedalus' lips. "I am offering you a deal. Seventy more years on the surface, then you pay your dues. Seventy years starting today, on the day, on the minute. No exceptions. No excuses." Daedalus hesitates but nods. "Good. Let's shake on it." It is not a request.

The fear in the old man's eyes makes Shinobu wonder if she should interfere. Is Pluto being the bad guy or not? Sometimes being the leader means requires a firm hand. Pluto's words make it sound like Daedalus is in the wrong and the sentence he gave is light. But she's also seen many people justify their cruelty and pass the blame to the victim. Shikamaru would advise a wait and see approach. She hates waiting, but she is also way in over her head.

"With past transgressions settled, let us move to lighter topics." Daedalus nods though his eyes focus on his own hand. "On your conversation about the girl's means of disposing of my soldiers." That got Daedalus' interest. "You speculated that she dispersed their spirit by infusing part of hers into them which is incorrect. If she did so, then her self-induced coma might not have been as disastrous." Shinobu wishes they'd stop talking about her like she isn't here. "Instead, what she did was to pull their spirits out by using hers. I would like ask how."

Daedalus' eyes jump to her and it is clear he wants her to explain. She lets out a sigh. Theory is never her strong suit, but she has one theory. "Since I can't control it I used my sword as a focus." It's the same principle to saying the technique's name out loud. A clear mental image helps with giving it form. She imagined it coated her sword, and it flowed like it did even though it didn't. With enough practice, she could probably create a sword-shaped extension with nothing on her hand. "But just because its sword-shaped doesn't mean it acts like a sword. It didn't pierce as much as it stuck to them like glue." Like the tree climbing exercise.

"Like attracts like." Shinobu rolls her eyes at Daedalus' sure tone. If he understood anything about chakra, he would realize it's not the case at all. Chakra repels itself. It's how chakra protects ninja from chakra-based attacks but leaves them vulnerable to things like kunai and swords. Chakra can be made to protect against blades just like it can be made to stick to things. That requires control. Left alone, it disperses. It's also why chakra 'leaks' and creates an aura. She wishes she can explain all this out loud but while she can intuit these ideas she can't articulate them.

"It's what put her into the coma." Pluto's words draw her attention. If he can explain what went wrong, she might avoid it. "As she pulled out their spirits, they were flung away from their skeletons. One of them flew into her. Two souls in one body is always a risky proposition." Shinobu's eyes widen realizing how dangerous her situation was. "I'm surprised the invading soul didn't take over." Especially without a seal to cage it away like she had with Kurama. "Which brings up a rather interesting question." Without looking, she can tell Daedalus is enraptured by Pluto's words. "What are you, Shinobu?"

What?

* * *

-|Lost in Translation|-

* * *

"Yours is an old soul. Far too old for one lifetime. Yet far too brilliant to be denied Elysium." Daedalus can't help looking at the young blonde in a new light. Pluto is implying she's a soul that aims for the Isles of the Blest. The Isles of the Blest is reserved for people who had been reborn three times, and three times achieved Elysium. Few prefer rebirth to the eternal residence in the blissful Elysium. Fewer still succeed.

Shinobu for her part is silent at the revelation. He can see she doesn't fully comprehend what Pluto is saying to her. He wonders if this is as news to her as it is to him. She is not well versed in the mythical world but he wonders how much she doesn't know.

"Your soul's outer layer was fragmented." The crack that Pluto fixed. Daedalus eyes ask. Layers? "The word 'soul' is rather generic. Ghosts are referred to as lost souls. If you think back to your explanation of ghostly forms, however, you will note that memory is part of what gives ghosts their form. By that definition, those touched by the River Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, are no longer souls. A ridiculous notion but that is the limits of language. Ghosts have a body, an ethereal body but a body. The soul is separate from the body. Deeper still, the soul itself has a 'soul', a core. Akin to the gods' Divine Form, this is a mortals true self. The soul is the layer above that."

Fascinating. There are theories. There are countless theories on souls and their nature. He would know. He has dived deep into them in his avoidance of death. To hear The God of the Dead speak on the matter is for Daedalus a treasure beyond all the riches beneath the earth. Could the god be lying or wrong? Never! He cannot comprehend such a thought.

"As for your mortal body, I cannot say your godly lineage." Not a surprise. The gods have trouble keeping count of all their children. Many demigods die unclaimed. "But I think we can make an educated guess on the matter from your nature magic and horns." Pan, the god of the Wild, hunting, rustic and folk music. Though, the idea brings more questions than answers. Pan isn't well-known for siring demigods. Daedalus for all his years doesn't know of one.

Or is she Roman? Faunus is Pan's Roman counterpart, though there is some debate on the matter. It would explain why she evokes Pluto's presence and not Hades'. Roman in Greek soil. If she is Roman and has found herself in Camp Half-Blood... By the gods! The implications are tremendously catastrophic or hilariously comedic. The war between Roman and Greek demigods is less than two centuries past. Losses on both sides were so terrible the gods forced each side to opposite sides of the country and manipulated the Mist so they would never meet.

A piercing beep echoes the room and Pluto lifts his hand and eyes the white watch that appears there. "It seems I am out of time. I am busy." Pluto gives them a shrewd smile. "Even to those who can be at many places at once, time is limited. If you need me, I'll return here in a week's time." The light dims for a second and when it returns Pluto is gone.

Daedalus moves to leave when Shinobu's hand grips his. "Be careful with him." The shadows hide her eyes from him but he can feel her gaze on him. "He may not be evil but he is dangerous." He agrees, and he knows this already. "Pluto is cunning." Another common fact, shown by his incredible ability to invent punishments for sinners in the Fields of Punishment on the spot. "Listen." Shinobu's tone grabs him before her hands grip his shoulders. "He is cunning. He knows you. It's why he has been gracious with information. He knows you, and he's using your thirst for knowledge as bait." What? "We leave in three days. If you want to talk with him again, you'll have to stay."

Realization crashes into him like a house of bricks. "I'm sorry." His voice a regretful whisper. "I will stay." Shinobu nods and lets him go. It's a trap, and he knows it but he will stay regardless. For the first time in many years, Daedalus concedes the futility of his years. For all his inventions, for all knowledge, for all his brilliance, he could never escape death.

Death was more cunning.


	32. 1032: Perspective

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Perspective|-

* * *

"Yours is an old soul."

Shock envelops her. Daedalus told her Hades fixed her soul. If he could do that, could he find out information about her? Did Hades tell Pluto what he found out? Or does Pluto have the same ability? Have they figured out she is from another world?

"Far too old for one lifetime."

It's true. Reincarnation is a process through which the chakra of a deceased individual is reborn in a new living vessel. Asura's chakra reincarnated into various individuals throughout history. His reincarnations inherited his will. Uzumaki Naruto became the latest inheritor of Asura's chakra and will after Hashirama died.

"Yet far too brilliant to be denied Elysium."

What's Elysium? He says no one could deny it from her. Did he mean to say, she refused it? What did she refuse? What could not be taken away but can be refused? She hates riddles. The only guess she has is fate. She defied fate.

"Your soul's outer layer was fragmented."

Even ignoring transmigration, her soul is still too old for her body. She lived as Naruto before she/he/they severed her/his/their soul in two in an act of reckless genius. A defiance, unbinding herself from the chains of fate.

"The word 'soul' is rather generic. Ghosts are referred to as lost souls. If you think back to your explanation of ghostly forms, however, you will note that memory is part of what gives ghosts their form. By that definition, those touched by the River Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, are no longer souls. A ridiculous notion but that is the limits of language. Ghosts have a body, an ethereal body but a body. The soul is separate from the body."

What he says sounds logical but frightening. If the translucent form of the ghost is its body created from spiritual and natural energies, then the soul would be a separate thing altogether. He is also confirming ghosts exist. Again, no longer scary but still creepy. Did that mean the beings around the palace _are_ ghosts? Is it a haunted palace? But what did that make Pluto? Is he possessed? Or perhaps he's a ghost that created his own body. If she can create hers, who is to say others have not as well?

"Deeper still, the soul itself has a 'soul', a core."

Two layered souls?

"Akin to the gods' Divine Form, this is a mortals true self. The soul is the layer above that."

The Divine Form of gods? Is that like Six Paths Sage Mode? His words tell her that the soul is a layer above the true self. What is the true self?

She doesn't focus on the term 'gods'. For Shinobu, the word 'god' is nebulous. The God of Shinobi is a nickname that can refer to Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, Hashirama Senju, and Hiruzen Sarutobi. The villagers of Amegakure believed Nagato's Pein to be a god. Hidan belongs to a cult that worships Jashin whom they believe expects his Jashinists to bring nothing less than utter destruction and death.

The death god can be summoned at the cost of the death god devouring the summoner's soul. How the Uzumaki clan developed that seal is a mystery though she is in no hurry to find out. She has a hunch it involved a lot of failed attempts and a lot of dead Uzumaki. She hopes she is wrong but if the Uchiha and Senju are anything to go by, the old clans were really, _really_ hardcore.

"As for your mortal body, I cannot say your godly lineage."

Lineage? Is he talking about Asura again? No. He speaks of her body's lineage. But she created this body. Then again, its creation is based in part on shadow clones being a replica of the user. It's the root of her theory of spiritual chakra remembering the body. Perhaps, despite being a different body, she created something which held more than superficial similarities with her old body?

"But I think we can make an educated guess on the matter from your nature magic and horns."

Is he talking about her link with Asura again? Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, his grandmother, and Hagoromo, his father, had horns. She is his reincarnation. That's why she has horns? What does nature energy have to do with that? The Ten-Tails, the embodiment of Kaguya combined with the Shinju, is composed of natural energy.

"It seems I am out of time."

Wait. What?

"I am busy."

If he is so busy why did he waste time with all that nonsense?

"Even to those who can be at many places at once, time is limited."

She hopes he's not talking about her. It won't surprise her if he is taking a jab at her use of shadow clones for vandalism. Maybe he has cloning techniques of his own and he is just referring to that. Her pranking opportunities shrink if everyone learns she can use shadow clones.

"If you need me, I'll return here in a week's time."

A week. Wait a minute! They can't be here in a week. He told them they had to go in three days.

Her eyes slide to Daedalus when the realization hits her. Forget selling sand to those stranded in a desert. Pluto can convince the man to demand Pluto trade him sand for his last drop. It's rather scary. Impressive but scary.

Today, Daedalus is that stranded man. "Be careful with him. He may not be evil but he is dangerous." Shinobu can't say why Pluto is not evil, but she trusts her gut. She was Hokage. She was a great Hokage, and that's not something she could say if she didn't practice deceit. It's hypocrisy for her to call Pluto evil for laying this trap. "Pluto is cunning." He'd make a great ally and a dangerous enemy. "Listen. He is cunning. He knows you." A trap with Daedalus in mind. "It's why he has been gracious with information." The best bait for him. "He knows you, and he's using your thirst for knowledge as bait. We leave in three days. If you want to talk with him again, you'll have to stay."

But...

"I'm sorry." She was wrong. The trap isn't set. "I will stay." It's already sprung.

* * *

-|Fall Out|-

* * *

The grim tone left by the previous conversation dims the splendor of the extravagance they pass by as they walk. Their destination is Zoe and Thalia. It's the most logical act as they need to inform the two of the task Pluto expects of them. With the strict three day deadline, it is something that cannot wait despite both preferring time alone to think. Daedalus is the one who can speak English, and that's why he is going instead of ordering Shinobu to play messenger. Shinobu insists on being there when he breaks the news. It's her prank they are cleaning up.

The right thing to do is often the hard thing to do.

The events are a blur to Shinobu. One moment, they are walking through the palace halls and Daedalus is explaining their impending journey to Tartarus. The next, she is beside Daedalus as he explains the task and the time limit to the two teens.

There's no fighting or shouting but the fury from the two teens is clear. Words fly between the rooms occupants. Words she cannot understand.

She can feel their hurt and anger and can deduce the general topic. She gets it. It's infuriating that they have to help fix her mess. They should be preparing to save Hedge from what Daedalus portrays as a hellish landscape.

Or at least, she gets parts of it.

She can't get the specifics. There's something deeper in the argument. Though they are mad at her too, they direct their hate at Daedalus. Past faults are rising to the surface, and a rift is forming between them. Without knowing the specifics she can't know how to help, how to quell their hate, how to ease their pain, how to inspire their fortitude.

She's helpless.

Shinobu preferred actions over words but she can't deny that words have their own power. Back at camp, she was in no rush. During this journey, she focused on her physical weakness. Thalia's electric blue eyes catch hers. Thalia's eyes, often filled with defiant pride, wells with unshed tears. Eyes of anger, of hurt, of surrender at the unfairness of it all, burns itself to her memory.

They are outside the room before she realizes it, and the door slams shut behind them.

She looks up at Daedalus' guarded face and grabs him by the elbow. "Teach me. Please, teach me."

* * *

-|Murphy|-

* * *

Daedalus agrees to help her but cannot act as a tutor. "I'll be busy."

He helps her find the library and picks out three books for her to choose from. Each has a different method of teaching English. She picks the smallest one but memorizes the cover and decoration of the other two. He stays with her for an hour and goes over the basics with her. She can understand and speak a few words, a lot of them nature related, and phrases, "Sorry. I cannot speak English." Daedalus gives a chuckle when she mentions a blonde boy from camp learned Japanese from Japanese poetry. After that, he leaves her alone with the book.

She looks around and sees no one else but the skeleton librarian who is fast asleep with a magazine over his or her face. The index and middle finger of her left and right hand extend, and she crosses them into the hand seal to create her shadow clones. She stops when a thought comes to her. It won't do to assume the librarian won't wake up. It won't be wise to not consider the possibility they might be pretending to sleep and are keeping an eye on her. You don't become a successful prankster or ninja by making such sloppy mistakes. She moves behind a bookshelf to make sure no one can see her.

She can still get away with not using any hand seals but with her molding issues, it will waste chakra. With her limited reserves, every drop of chakra counts.

A positive of her lower chakra pool is it makes control a lot easier. The clone appears with a loud poof and a cloud of smoke. Damn! She takes a quick peek at the sleeping librarian before returning her focus to her clone. With enough control, clone creation should be silent and smoke-free. If Pluto - or was it Hades? - fixed her spiritual chakra, why is it still wonky?

She need not say anything. The clone has her memories and knows what to do. It gives her a nod and takes off deeper into the library to find the other books Daedalus showed her. With her reserves she can make two more but doesn't.

Contrary to popular belief, adding two clones won't cut training or learning by half. Shadow clones are near perfect replicas; same strengths, same flaws, same line of thinking. There will be overlaps in what each will learn. Multiple memories telling her the same thing is a waste. The most efficient way to learn means reducing overlaps and have a few clones learning different things. Clones also divide chakra equally and fewer clones mean more duration. With more control, she can adjust how much chakra each clone has, but it's beyond her capabilities right now.

Her eyes are on the book she is holding but her mind is elsewhere. With all that Pluto said, does he know that she is from another world? Pluto is smart, but the multiverse is not the first choice for rationality. Dimension hopping requires genius. But if you're smart enough to figure out how to do it, you're smart enough to know it's a horrible idea to attempt. Pluto is smart. He's also logical.

She hopes that works against him.

Fragmenting one's own soul and crossing the dimensional gap? Stupid. Reckless and the odds against it succeeding is infinity to one.

She hopes it's too stupid an idea for him to consider.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a rush of memories. Her clone popped from fatigue. She glances at the clock on the wall. An hour for a single clone? What was with her chakra? She sorts through the rush of memories clones transfer when they dispel. Her clone's accomplishments in such a short time frame surprise her. Words flow through her, foreign yet familiar. Gold and silver flash before death.

She leaves the library to the last location of her clone to investigate. It got bored and wandered outside. She won't judge. The clone got more work done than she did. She replays the clone's final moments as she enters the land left of the palace. Construction equipment fills the area though she sees no workers in the vicinity. The clone died burning through its chakra for a Rasengan. It's possible the beast scared people away but her clone saw no one here when it entered.

She's not sure what to do about it. It has golden fur so it might belong to Pluto or Hades or to both of them. On the other hand, it is a possible danger to others. The slashes on a bulldozer and a forklift prove that its silvery claws and fangs aren't for show. Despite the damage around her, there is no sign of the lion itself. Shinobu finds and grabs the book on the ground first. She's already in trouble for vandalism. She doesn't want to add theft to the list. Once the book is secure in her pants pocket, she climbs the largest crane for a better view of the area.

It spots her as soon as she spots it. The large feline wastes no time and pounces toward her. Metal buckles as the large golden lion land on the vehicle. It does not climb the crane to get her but slashes at the crane's base instead. Shinobu leaps away before it crashes down, and the lion pounces while she is midair. A burst of chakra rockets her past the lion's trajectory, and she lands into a roll.

The moment she is back up the lion is on her tail. Chakra enhances her speed she weaves through scaffolding and between two trucks of cement. It gives her distance away from the lion, but she can feel her reserves burning low. She laments not carrying her sword and daggers with her. "Rule number one of being a shinobi: Always carry a weapon." If it wasn't rule number one, it is now.

She tears rebar and gives it a chakra enhanced spear throw. The length of metal does not penetrate as it would a normal lion and instead bounces off the golden fur. The lion pounces.

Then kaboom.

She doesn't hear the explosion. One second, she's diving under the lion's leap. Then, a blinding light and they tumble through the air. Next, she's on the ground, sore all over, vision fuzzy, and her ears ringing.

She pushes off the ground to roll on her back but stops when pain blares from her right leg. Her vision fades in and out. Her eyes take two seconds to comprehend the rebar protruding from her leg, pinning her to the ground. The rumble of sifting earth draws her attention forward. A pile of rubble collapses and reveals an unharmed golden lion.

A lion which spots her and prowls to her direction.


	33. 1033: Lion

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Lion|-

* * *

Shinobu looks down on the rebar protruding from her thigh, pinning her down. She cranes her neck up and levels her gaze to the golden lion prowling towards her. The fog clears from her vision, and her eyes trace the tiny crimson droplets dripping down from bloodstained fur. "Looks like the blast got first blood from the both of us." The ringing in her ears deafens her to her own voice, but she can feel the ground rumbling from the lion's growl. She keeps the lion in her sight as it circles to her right. "Not much for banter huh."

The moment the lion's muscles tense, she springs up to a sitting position and grabs the rebar. Time slows. As the lion crouches, she pulls the rebar with a burst of chakra. With another chakra burst, she flings the metal pole towards the lion mid-pounce. It strikes true on its forehead with enough force to penetrate steel. Though the lion closes its eyes, the impact deals no damage as the lion's impenetrable fur bounces the rebar away. Time regains its pace. Shinobu rolls under the lion's leap, its paws missing her by a foot.

The lion turns and runs at her. She grabs a handful of dirt to blind the lion on its next leap, but a blinding flash interrupts them both. An unnatural but familiar dread washes over her, and the metallic scent of ozone assaults her. "Thalia?" Her eyes confirm her guess as her vision returns. "Did you have to make that thunderbolt so close? If I wasn't already deaf, I would be now." Thalia turns her head with a raised brow but doesn't move her lips to say anything and returns her attention to the lion. Right, language barrier.

Thalia's shield's frightening aura holds the lion at bay, though it prowls closer with each second. Shinobu takes advantage of the lion's hesitation and focuses chakra to her leg. She can't boost her healing to the same degree Kurama can. But if her current body copied enough of her original form, she should retain the strong life force of an Uzumaki. She bites back a scream and hopes nerves healing is what's causing the renewed pain in her leg.

The lion grows braver and its pace increases by the second. Lightning arcs from Thalia's spear, but the lion pays it no heed. Thalia can attempt to blind it with another flash, but the beast is impervious from her attacks. Arrows announce Zoe's entrance to the battle though all three break against its pelt. More arrows fly, aimed at parts not protected by the lion's natural armor, but the moving lion keeps its eyelids narrow and its lips closed. Smart lion.

The lion's impenetrable pelt is their greatest obstacle. Its metallic fur acts as a natural armor capable of deflecting chakra powered projectiles, Zoe's arrows, Thalia's lightning, and explosive force.

Except it can't be impenetrable. Her eyes narrow on the drops of blood on her clothes. Drops of blood that fell on her from the lion when she rolled under it. The lion bleeds.

She lets out a short chuckle. Another enemy with tremendous durability. It's nostalgic. The Hyuuga's Revolving Heaven creates a sphere of spinning chakra to protect the user. Gaara has several sand based defenses. A layer of compact sand as armor and his Shield of Sand, which has sand moving to defend him, are two of many. Uchiha with Mangekyō have Susanoo, a gigantic, humanoid being made of the user's chakra that surrounds them and fights on their behalf. The Third Raikage's most impressive and renown trait is his tremendous durability, earning the name, the "strongest shield".

A thought flashes in Shinobu's mind.

The Third Raikage has another famous technique. The One-Finger Nukite, known as the "strongest spear", capable of incredible feats of penetration. And can pierce his own defense!

Her eyes dart to the lion's silvery claws. Claws stained red with blood. Its own.

She opens her mouth but snaps it shut. Another reason to learn the language. She can't share pertinent information in a short timeframe with gestures and tone alone. She can't inform Thalia of her plan. Thalia can't act out her plan. She has to do it herself.

Shinobu's gaze returns to her leg wound. It is no longer bleeding, but it is far from healed. She doubts she can stand on it for more than half a minute. She can pour more chakra into the wound, but it'll be a considerable drain, and she's not a medic. Chakra alone won't be enough to heal it completely. She's better off saving what little left she has on the fight.

Shinobu pulls her left, uninjured leg close to her and straightens her right hand on the ground as support. In one smooth motion, she lifts her body on her leg and hand, pulls her right leg under then behind her, and stands up. She could have flung herself upright with chakra but chose not to. It's not only a waste of chakra, it would also aggravate her wound more.

Thalia turns to face her. Shinobu, deaf as she is, assumes Zoe is the one that alerted the leather clad girl to her action. She looks Thalia in the eye.

"Trust me."

* * *

-|Electric|-

* * *

The moment Daedalus entered their room, Thalia knew something was wrong. She can't remember his exact words. He told her of Shinobu's stupid prank and Shinobu's punishment. He said something about Shinobu's ignorance not being her fault. She remembers her shock. He tells her of his proposal to the God of Death and Wealth. He tells her of their time limit. She remembers the anger. Another excuse for Hades to torment her for her father's sins. The god tries to kill her, then when his domain is in chaos he demands her service to return his lost dogs. Not content with that, he adds an impossible chore to burden her and humiliate her.

She can't remember her exact words, but she remembers screaming till her throat was sore. There was a loud bang as the door slammed shut. There was a silence in its wake. She doesn't remember grabbing Zoe, but she remembers the hunter rocking her in her arms as she lost herself in tears.

Thalia couldn't remember if her own mother held her like this. She never had a good relationship with her mother. They constantly argued. That woman was always drunk and acted like a spoiled child. She later died in a car accident. Thalia never knew her father. She knows of him, and she's seen him before, but they aren't close. The only one she loved in her family was her little brother, Jason, and losing him hurt so much it almost killed her. It hurt enough that she never mentioned him to Annabeth or Luke.

Would the world take them away from her too?

Her cheeks were still wet when the sound of an explosion rocked their room.

The world would not even give her this small moment to grieve for herself.

Zoe stood and broke their hold, her eyes apologetic. Thalia nodded then wiped the tears off her face. They made sure they had their weapons then ran out of their rooms. Zoe lead and Thalia followed. The explosion was outside. Thalia was glad their guest room was on the second floor. A leap from the stairs to the ground floor rattled her bones but was otherwise quick and easy. She was also glad Hades' palace didn't shift or warp like the Labyrinth. Thalia could barely remember the path they took as it was.

She wanted to ask how Zoe knew where to go, but running left no breath for words. She settled with the assumption it was something Zoe can do as a hunter. Navigation and the ability to locate distant sounds seemed logical skills for an experienced hunter. They were outside before Thalia could make sense of her own musings.

Gold moving through the air drew her eyes. "The Nemean lion!" Zoe's whisper echoed in her ears. Her tunnel vision caught movement. Before her conscious mind could comprehend the scene, her subconscious brought out her spear, charged it with lightning, and launched it at the monster's path. She ran while the spear was in mid-air. She already pulled her spear out of the ground out by the time her thoughts caught up with her.

Her silver charm bracelet expanded into the Aegis, and the monster froze in its tracks. "Thalia?" Shinobu was in danger, and she needed to protect her. Shinobu spoke more words in Japanese, and Thalia turned her head to the girl in response. What? The blonde's sheepish laugh contrasts against the ruined battlefield and the gaping and bloody hole in her leg. She returned her focus to the enemy before them but couldn't help but roll her eyes at the blonde's cheery and silly demeanor in their dire situation.

The monster's hesitation did not last. With caution, it inched its way forward. Its fear would not hold it back for long. She launched an arc of electricity from her spear, but it did not slow the truck-sized feline down. She made another attempt. That time with less power but more precision, hoping to strike where the Nemean lion's famous metallic gold fur could not protect it. The lion's movement made aiming difficult, and her own control was insufficient.

Silver streaks whizzed past her and struck the monster but to no avail. More arrows broke against golden pelt. "Shinobu!" Zoe's exclamation alerted her to movement behind her. She turned halfway, making sure her shield stayed facing the monster and sees the wounded blonde standing.

Shinobu's eyes catch hers, and the world quiets and slows.

Cerulean eyes stare into hers. They remind her of her recent nightmares, falling through the clouds before crashing into blue death. Shinobu points her thumb at herself, and a confident smile spreads on the blonde's face. A confidence easy to mistake for cockiness. A dangerous mistake. _Trust me._

Shinobu walks past her, past her shield's protection. Zoe shouts her protests behind them, but they are mere whispers in Thalia's mind. Feet spread apart and a hand to her hip, Shinobu gives them a thumbs up. The absurdity of it all stuns even Zoe. _Trust my strength._

The Nemean lion pounces, and Shinobu forward rolls under it. Girl and lion circle each other. The beast growls. Shinobu's smile turns feral. The monster hesitates. Shinobu circles closer. Closer and the lion takes a step back. It hisses and growls but steps back. It swipes down at her. She dodges back from the attack. It swipes again and forces her back.

With renewed confidence, the lion continues its assault. Then, with a mighty roar, the large golden lion stands on its hind legs, it's foreclaws up and jaws open, and descends on Shinobu. The blonde sidesteps at the last moment and grabs the back of its paw. Before it can think of biting down on her hand, she uses its own momentum against it and drives its claws into its own belly. She then pulls with a powerful jolt and eviscerates the beast.

Then Shinobu retreats back into the safety of the group.

The later events are anti-climactic. With the monster's grievous wound, it's a simple matter of waiting the lion out until it bleeds to death. Zoe drags Shinobu back in the palace long before the lion dies and melts into gold dust.

Thalia stares down at twenty silver daggers, their spoils of war, parts that don't disintegrate when a monster dies. Two large daggers are double the length of kitchen knives and have a single edge on the inward curve. The remaining blades also have their edge on the inward curve but are less than a third the length of the larger pair. They are the lion's fangs and claws.

Blades that can cut through the Nemean lion's otherwise invulnerable pelt.

If her memory is correct, it was Athena who told Hercules to use the lion's claws to skin it. He did it when the lion was already dead. She turns her gaze to Hades' palace, her thoughts on the peculiar blonde. "Crazy. Stupid. Crazy stupid." Somehow she doubts the virgin goddess of wisdom influenced Shinobu's plan.

"The same crazy stupid that paints one hundred eighty-eight of Hades' rooms." Daedalus! "And in case you were wondering, I've been here for a while. I've finished tending to our little troublemaker's wounds and decided to check on your condition. You seemed distracted so I let you stew in your own thoughts."

"Good. I might have killed you on _'accident'_ if you startled me." The anger in her words is halfhearted. There is anger buried in her, but right now she is exhausted. Too tired to ask questions without answers. How did the lion get so close to Hades' palace? She doubts Hades is fond of monsters near his abode. What caused the explosion? Twice they've encountered explosions in the Underworld. "How is she?" She ignores the small smile on his face at her concern.

"She's remarkably well for someone who faced the Nemean lion bare handed. Though it would be nice if we had some proper equipment." Oh, right. The dead don't have a need for hospitals and clinics. "The torture implements in the dungeon worked well enough. Though they were a hassle to clean and sterilize." She nods, too tired to comment. "You should get some rest. You have a long three days ahead of you."

She glares at the reminder of their impossible chore but abides by his advice.

Neither she nor Daedalus notice eyes in the shadows. "Interesting."


	34. 1034: Paint

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Paint|-

* * *

Thalia pushes her plastic hand scraper against orange paint, revealing black marble. She lifts her protective goggles for a clearer view of the shiny black surface. "Shinobu is lucky the paint didn't stain, or I'd have killed her by now." The respirator muffles her words but not the irritation in her voice.

"She is lucky the paint peels off, because if we had to use paint strippers, I would have dumped a bucket full on her." Zoe's own respirator doesn't hide her annoyance either.

Thalia grunts in agreement and returns the goggles over her eyes before going back to her work. "Where is our blonde vandal? Shouldn't she be helping with her mess?" Unlike her harsh tone, her actions are careful and measured. Plastic can't scuff marble, but why take the risk?

"She should be in the next room over, and she insists on working alone according to Daedalus."

"You don't find that suspicious? I haven't known her that long, but I can't imagine her as a loner. Oh, and you missed a spot."

"I miss nothing! And yes, I am suspicious. That room is double the size of ours and has three times more paint. The coward is suspicious too, but speculating is pointless."

"He's still not going to Tartarus with us? Yeah, Tartarus is bad, but the coward ran away from death all his life, and yet he's staying in death's home base."

"Do not waste your time making sense of his foolishness. He is a man, and men make zero sense. Though you are underestimating the horrors of Tartarus. We will not survive a day in it." She cuts off Thalia's protest. "I mean that in the literal sense. The air is lethal, and its heat will cook us alive. I do not think thy satyr friend..."

"Don't! Do not say it. He is alive. The old goat is too stubborn to die to bad air and a little heat. Also, it's '_your_' not '_thy_'."

Zoe plays along with Thalia's subject change. "_You_ should focus on _your_ work. You missed a spot."

"No, I didn't!." Thalia pauses and looks down. "It's just a tiny smudge, not a spot. Why isn't Daedalus helping us? He isn't going with us to Tartarus, but that doesn't mean he can't help us finish this job faster. We'd have more time to prepare if he did. It's his idea to help Shinobu. I'm surprised you didn't force him to help." Zoe's silence gives Thalia pause. "You tried." Zoe doesn't reply. "And you failed." Thalia holds her hands up at Zoe's glare. "I mean, how? I would have thought a few arrows would be enough to threaten him into submission."

"The man is resourceful." It is clear she will not elaborate further. "What about you? I'm surprised you did not threaten him with harm."

"..."

"You did not think of that until right now, didn't you?"

"Shut it. Yesterday was hectic, and I faced a gigantic, invulnerable lion in case you forgot."

"In case you forgot, I was there too."

"Yeah, behind my shield."

"What did you want me to do, fight melee with my bow? I do not disregard basic tactics and jump headfirst into battle, unlike some people."

"Hey, I kept the monster at bay, which is more than what you could have done with your puny arrows."

"Puny! I will have you know-" Jovial whistling and feet skipping on the halls outside draws their attention.

"..."

"..."

"Was that Shinobu outside with a book?" Zoe nods. "Isn't she supposed to be removing paint in the other room?" Another nod. "Maybe she's finished." They freeze then look at each other. "No way." The pair drops their scrapers and runs to the other room.

The doors open with a slam. "Wow. She has removed more paint alone than we have together. But..."

"But she's nowhere close to finished."

"No. She is not."

"..."

**"SHINOBU!"**

Their simultaneous roar echoes through the hallway, but said blonde is long gone.

"I can still track her." Zoe's steps forward to give chase, but Thalia interrupts her with an arm. "What? You are just going to let her get away with-" Thalia shakes her head and walks away. Zoe growls at the direction Shinobu ran but follows Thalia into the room they were cleaning. "You are letting this go?"

"Heck no!" Thalia stops, takes a deep breath, then exhales. "I'm not letting her off scot-free, but we have more important things to do. First, we remove the paint, then we fry her. Even when you find her, which will take forever, you can't catch her." Thalia sighs as Zoe grumbles under her breath. "Okay. You can't catch her unless you use your arrows."

Shinobu is fast and erratic, though, and she'll be a harder target than the Nemean lion's eyes. That's if she doesn't fight back when Zoe brings out lethal weapons into the chase. Thalia rubs her neck remembering the outcome of their first '_spar_'.

She thought little of it until today. The sudden quest and its hurdles took the forefront of her thoughts. After the Nemean lion's death, though, her mind keeps replaying her loss against Shinobu.

"She is such a kid." Zoe's words snap Thalia from her musings. "She vandalized Hades' palace and now she is galavanting around doing who knows what. I am surprised Hades gave her the chance to fix this mess and did not just smite her on the spot. She better not cause more trouble."

Thalia shrugs. "I don't understand the gods nor the reasons they do anything they do. They don't make sense." Zoe grunts but doesn't comment. Thalia's mind returns to her earlier thoughts. "You're right, but you're also wrong. She is a kid, but she doesn't act like a kid at all." Thalia pauses, searching for her words. "I met with Shinobu in the arena back in camp. My friends talked about her, and I was curious."

"I am guessing you did not pick the arena to have a nice chat."

"Luke talked her up a lot. He says he met her while she was sparing with Cabin 5 members. He's gone back there to spar with her or watch her spar with the brutes ever since. I wanted to see how well she fought myself." Thalia rolls her eyes at Zoe tsking at the mention of Luke.

"You also wanted to assert your dominance. Mess with your friends and you would pound her into the ground."

"No! Well yes, but only a little bit."

"_Right_ and to remind everyone you are on top of the pecking order. You are the alpha dog, and no one should forget it."

"Don't be stupid."

Zoe waves her off. "So back to the topic. What is the point of your story, other than to kill time?"

"She won," whispers Thalia.

"It is a spar. They are great for practice, but they do not always translate to real combat."

Thalia turns her head away and whispers quieter. "I sort of, kind of wanted it to, a bit." She can feel Zoe's questioning gaze on her. "I sort of came in with full armor and both my spear and shield. I also fought her even though she brought practice swords and the camp uniform." Thalia rushes through the last sentence.

"Wow. Chiron allowed that?" Pause. "He did not allow it."

"He was there," and chastised her before the council convened, "and Cabin 5 sneaks into the arena with full gear all the time! It's not like I wanted to kill her. Like you said, spars aren't like real fights. Real weapons and armor make them closer to real fights."

"You wanted her to understand that you could kill her for real, and you lost." Zoe chuckles at Thalia's strangled scream of frustration. "Ease up on the scraper there. We want to strip off the paint, not dig Hades a new basement."

"Long story short; I gave that match my all, she did not, and I lost. Okay?"

"Just because you are a daughter of Zeus does not mean you are better than everyone. She won. You lost. It happens."

"It's not just that I lost." Thalia pauses. "My Aegis is a replica, but it works. Everyone I've used it against either runs away or has trouble fighting me head on. Shinobu didn't have that trouble, and she didn't even hesitate. When we fought the lion, she had a hole through her leg, and she laughed and smiled. She's... It's like... It's almost like she has no fear."

"If she had no fear, she would be dead." Zoe stays silent for a second and ponders Thalia's words. "She is a predator."

"What?"

"You saw how the Nemean lion reacted. It backed off as if it was prey, and she was the predator."

"The monster fought back and lunged at her before she spilled its guts."

"Does not change its fear of her."

"I still don't see what that has to do with her lack of fear."

"It is not about not having fear. It is about how she reacts to fear: fight, flight, and freeze. Prey choose flight and, if cornered, freeze. She does neither. Her instinct chooses to fight."

"I'm sure predators choose flight and freeze too."

"Yes, if they are up against those as dangerous or more dangerous than themselves."

"She's puny and had no weapons!"

"The Nemean lion was not stupid. Animals perceive what human minds ignore. The way she moved told it Shinobu was a threat, and it was right."

"The way she moved?"

Zoe shrugs. "It cannot be her scent, and she did not talk. Unless you're telling me the lion can touch and taste from a distance..."

"Okay. So she scared it off by walking."

Zoe sighs.

"I understand what you're saying, but that doesn't stop it from sounding silly. You talk about Shinobu like she's a wild animal, calling her a predator."

"Sorry. Your comment on her reaction to fear reminded me of hunting. I meant no offense."

"It's fine. I doubt she'd take it as an insult if she could understand you. It's funny. When we first encountered Shinobu, she was animalistic in a way. There were monsters after me, and she came in and helped us reach camp in one piece."

"Animalistic in what way?"

"She came from the forest nude, and she fought without weapons." Thalia chuckles at Zoe tripping on her own feet. Her laughter stops when a memory strikes her. "I'll have to hold off on killing her."

"Because she saved your lives?"

"Nah. She came in when we were already near the camp's barrier. She helped, but we would have survived a minute without her. I haven't compensated for frying her last time." Thalia's eyes dart away from Zoe. "It was an accident. She leaped at the Fury as I let loose a thunderbolt, and she got caught in it."

"First you make it up to her then fry her."

Thalia nods. She takes off her goggles and respirator. "Whew. I'm glad that's over."

Zoe copies her and inspects the floor. "We are far from done. The paint we scraped needs sweeping, and we have one hundred eighty-seven rooms left. Even with Shinobu's help, it will take us more than a week to finish. Without it, it will take three."

"She was fast, but she's not that fast."

"Either way, we will not meet Hades' deadline."

"That was obvious from the beginning. How does he expect us to rescue his dogs if we can't prepare? He can't be that petty and sabotage our chances at saving them. It's obvious he needs them back. The whole Underworld is falling apart out there."

"So why are you trying?"

"We can't escape or fight Hades. We either do this or we don't. I'm not doing nothing and waiting for him to kill us."

"This is your defiance."

"What's so funny?"

"I thought you would pick death through combat. This is unlike you."

"I'm not stupid or suicidal."

"Like I said, unlike you."

"Har har. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Why are you staying? Hades hates me, but you could wiggle your way out of this."

Zoe shakes her head. "Hades keeps his word, and he expects the same from others."

"I take it you're not one for doing nothing nor death through combat."

"I am not afraid to die in combat, but you were correct. A mortal fighting a god is suicide and will involve no combat." Zoe wipes the sweat from her forehead. "Done. No more paint peels."

Thalia's gaze is off to the side. Her mind elsewhere.

"Thalia?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was thinking about what you said."

"Hey. Do not let this talk of dying get you down."

"It's not that. What you said about Shinobu as a predator isn't so strange. When she looked at me, before she walked towards the lion, I froze. It was her eyes. It was as if I was staring into my Aegis except different. They remind me of other eyes."

"Predator eyes?"

Thalia shakes her head. "The first was Chiron's. The way he speaks, the way he holds himself: he is a teacher through and through. You can see it in his eyes. They gaze into you, judging your worth but never calling you worthless."

"They are searching for the greatness within. The seed he nurtures from those under his care. And the other?"

"I remember his eyes. Sometimes they scared me, but there was a great authority in them I respected."

"Hades?"

"No. My father."


	35. 1035: Helping Hands

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Helping Hands|-

* * *

Shinobu stretches her arm forward and hovers her open palm an inch over the golden statue. Wisps of energy form and spin between her hand and the statue marred with orange paint. The paint bubbles then chips under the vortex of chakra. Orange dust flies from under her palm. Shinobu gives silent thanks to Daedalus for the goggles and respirator.

On her other arm, she holds a book open. Her brows furrow together against the mental effort of reading and controlling her chakra. Her multitasking exercise slows her progress on removing paint, but it evens out in the long term. Her limited chakra reserves mean she'll get the same amount of work done at the end of the day. She can double her speed, but it will also double the drain.

Her hand inches sideways and reveals clean gold. She grins at her forethought to use easy to remove paint. It makes the time and effort she spent testing each can's paint worth it. She will admit her childishness in this prank, but she won't deny her brilliance in its execution. Years of experience honed her pranking skills well. Years of pranking also translate into years of failure and punishment. Iruka caught her the most, and the academy teacher forced her to clean up after her pranks.

She puts her book down and inspects the 8-inch tall, golden owl. The statue's feathers and its tiny gems would be difficult to clean without her chakra trick.

Individual strands of chakra spin in different directions at once. They stick to any surface they hit and give a short tug. With it, she can reach paint in every nook and cranny. She can also adjust its strength for the material she works with.

"Good job, boss." The clone gives her a thumbs up then returns to its own statue.

Shinobu gives another mental thank you to Daedalus for agreeing to her to work alone in this room. She prefers to keep her non-combat abilities, like her trick and her clones, secret. She won't withhold her fighting abilities from her allies. It would be irresponsible of her to hold back and risk her comrades' lives. Her non-combat related tricks she sees no harm in keeping to herself.

She grimaces at the thought of her clones falling under the non-combat category. She can't spam her clones thanks to her current chakra reserve limit. For her to summon one in a fight will waste chakra. She doesn't even have enough to justify more than one clone to help her remove paint. Her current chakra issues overshadow her skill with the technique. She is back to basics except she doesn't have the monstrous chakra pool to compensate.

If she could, she'd fill the room with clones and finish in minutes. She could do with more helping hands.

If she was still Hokage, she'd make this a D-rank mission for three teams. She shakes her head. There is no point lamenting her loss of power and authority. She moves to the next owl statue and pulls her book back up to keep her mind preoccupied.

The ease she performs her chakra trick with little conscious thought shouldn't surprise her. She based it on the first step of learning her second trademark technique. Unable to distract herself with chakra control, she doubles her focus on her book. Her eyes trace the words, but her mind returns to her problems. A sigh escapes her.

"Something wrong, boss?" Her clone peeks out from behind a giant, obsidian cow statue.

She shakes her head, and the clone raises a brow but returns to its work. Her own golden statue gleams free of paint and dirt, and she moves to the next. A sharp melody pauses her. She turns her head towards her clone's whistles. Her clone bounces with the tune.

She walks to her next mark, and her own lips purse. Her music begins together with her clone but later shifts to complement it. Their duet comes to an abrupt halt when her clone stops. She raises her brow at her clone. It opens its mouth but closes it without speaking a word. It brings its hands together and dispels itself with the telltale explosion of smoke.

The clone's memories and remaining chakra return to her. Shinobu freezes at the clone's thoughts.

Konoha lists the Shadow Clone as a forbidden technique. Most consider its massive chakra drain as its biggest flaw. Chakra exhaustion will kill an inexperienced shinobi, but there is another flaw. It creates a near perfect copy of the user. It thinks the same way the user would think. A positive trait if not for a small factor. People assume a clone it will act according to the user's wishes. Shinobu knows better.

When she was a novice with the technique, she thought little of the rebellious nature of clones. Sometimes they talked back, refused to follow orders, and did things that were of no benefit to her. She doubts the clones themselves had any idea why. It wasn't until she focused on the memories the returned that a realization struck her. They were her with a time limit. What would you do if you knew you only had minutes left to live? The conscious or subconscious awareness of imminent mortality changes a person's perspective and actions. Without the proper mindset, the weapon betrays its master.

She is glad she never has to worry about it. War ingrained itself deep into Konoha despite its outward talk of peace. Even as poor a student as she was, the academy sew the seeds of a good soldier in her. Or maybe her success comes from a hint of insanity.

Whatever the case, clones will act and think in ways the original would not. It's a rare occurrence and often of minor consequence.

The memory transfer conveys thoughts the clone could not express well in words. Shinobu whistles the previous melody as she mulls over the clone's idea. She looks around herself and measures her reserves. She can finish eight to ten rooms before she reaches her limit for the day. Her estimates give three weeks to finish by herself, one with her friends' help. She'll accept the punishment, but she won't toil on an impossible and pointless task.

The clone's idea relies on shaky logic on people she met in a short time frame. Shinobu tears her gaze from the book and tilts her head up. She conquered impossible odds with less sound ideas, but she needs help with this. Help won't come easy, but she can be persuasive.

A mischievous grin spreads on her face as her mind races through possible pranks. Her sharp tune livens as her eyes roam and bounce back over the word "payback".

With those happy thoughts she skips out of the room towards her... prey.


	36. 1036: Surprise

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Surprise|-

* * *

The seventh room took a lot of work. A forest of golden trees littered the room.

Zoe assures her, "If they were pure gold, they'd buckle under their own weight. Don't ask how I know. Let's just say a few hunters get extreme when showing their appreciation to our goddess."

The alloy meant they didn't have to worry damaging the trees so long as they were careful. How Shinobu can paint each golden leaf with a smiley was beyond them.

The other rooms had one or two center pieces vandalized. They move on to the next room hoping it would be like the rest and unlike the last. Thalia and Zoe's goal was to finish with ten clean rooms, but they'll be lucky to finish eight.

They stop at a set of large, imposing doors and Thalia groans. "We'll be lucky if we finish seven and a half." Without a word they push the doors open with ease. "Do you think Hades enchants the doors?"

Zoe doesn't respond and stares ahead.

"What's gotten into... you?" Thalia becomes speechless. The room is clean! They turn their heads to each other wide-eyed.

They run to the center of the ballroom in search of any trace of paint. Nothing.

"Did they give us the wrong room?"

They walk out in a daze. "It does not matter. Let's find another before we return to our rooms."

They check the next room and see the guard in front of the golden doors. "That would be the room Hades forbade us from entering."

"You mean the room his uptight servant told us not to enter."

"He's the butler and is in charge of all Hades' male servants. If he says it's forbidden it's forbidden. The point is if that room is in this hall, then every other room here should have paint."

They move to the next room and find it clean. "Do you think Hades is dicking with us?"

Zoe sighs. "Contrary to what you think, the ruler of the Underworld does not spend all his time thinking of ways to annoy you. And you should stop speaking ill of a god out loud in his domain within hearing range of his servants."

"He already hates me."

"He hasn't killed you."

"Not for the lack of trying."

"But he's stopped."

"For now."

Zoe gives her a pointed look.

"All right. I'll stop. Like I said, not suicidal."

"We'll see."

They reach the next room. The doors creak open. The light from the hallway does not pierce the darkness. "Okay. This is new."

They enter. Their footsteps echo on tiled floor. Then, the chandelier above them flashes open and -

"SURPRISE!"

Thalia yelps and fires an electric arc.

Shinobu stands before them. Her hands forward in a peace sign and a wide grin on her face.

Thalia explodes. "What in Tartarus! You're lucky I didn't kill you!"

"She's lucky you have a horrible aim."

"At least I don't have your horrible reflex. You should have your bow ready by now."

Zoe waves her off. "I have good night vision."

"Right." Thalia turns to Shinobu. "So what are you up to twerp? Oh, right. You don't speak -"

"I'm sorry!" Shinobu bows one the floor. "I'm sorry!"

"What? Uh. Okay. Uh. When?"

Shinobu raises her head and stares at Thalia with a confused expression.

Zoe grabs her by the shoulder and helps her up. "I don't think she can speak English. If I were to guess, 'Surprise' and 'I'm sorry' are the two phrases she knows how to say."

"I'm sorry!" Shinobu gives a nervous laugh but proves Zoe wrong with her next words. "My name is Shinobu. I don't understand nor speak English." Her monotone voice tells them Shinobu memorized the line.

"Okay. She can say a few phrases, but I doubt she understands what each word themselves mean."

Thalia rubs her forehead. "I appreciate the gesture, but couldn't she have used the time to learn to help us instead?"

"I think she did both."

"Come again?"

Zoe gestures to the surrounding room. "It's spotless too."

"No way! Are you telling me she did the other rooms too? You don't think -"

They freeze, drop their gaze towards Shinobu. Thalia and Zoe return their gazes to each other. "No way."

Zoe throws Shinobu over her shoulder, and they run out the room.

Thalia and Zoe run through the hallway and open every door.

"Clean."

"This too."

They race through the palace and check every room they could. They're all clean.

With that realization, exhaustion slams into Thalia and Zoe. They collapse to the ground. They heave and gasp, their bodies desperate for oxygen. Shinobu pulls from Zoe and sits between the two girls.

Thalia stops her gasping to speak but fails. Her body takes over and returns to pulling in as much oxygen it could through her mouth. Shinobu's head whips back and forth between Thalia and Zoe. She stands up and gives them both a short bow and a quick, "I'm sorry." then skips away whistling.

Thalia raises an arm but stops half way. Thalia and Zoe turn their heads to face each other, their thoughts aligned. They don't have the energy to stop Shinobu. Even if they could, they would achieve nothing. They can't ask her how she did it.

Did Shinobu do it?

Maybe they can get Daedalus as a translator? Nah.

* * *

-|Flashback|-

* * *

Daedalus winces as Shinobu's name echoes through the palace. He returns to his laptop.

The door slams open and interrupts his musings. Shinobu rushes from the doorway towards him with a wide grin. "I need your help."

"I'm busy."

"Doing what?" Shinobu takes a peek at the laptop behind him. "Are you fiddling with your toys again?"

Daedalus rubs his forehead. "Yes. I'm working on an equation for one of my inventions."

"Anything important?"

"It's a design of a container for a volatile material."

"When do you need to finish?"

"There's no immediate time limit."

"Then it can wait. I need help."

"With what?"

Shinobu scratches the back of her head and titters.

His groan interrupts her nervous laughter. "No." He shakes her head at her pout. "If _you _think it's a poor idea, then I know it's too disastrous to try."

She blows him a raspberry then places her hands on her hips. His shifts away from her glare. It should be impossible for a such a tiny girl to intimidate men twice her size.

"Fine. I'll hear your scheme." He listens to her mumbled explanation. He is mistaken. Her idea is not horrible. "It's _suicide_." He interrupts her rebuttal. "No. I don't want to hear any more of this insanity." He waits for her reply, but silence meets him. He braces himself to her glare before his eyes dare a glance at the small blonde. Instead of a glare, her face forms a mischievous smile.

"You're right. It's a gamble, but it's better than nothing. Unless you come up with a better idea, you will help with mine. Trust me. There are worse fates than death."

He straightens his back and raises his chin. "You cannot scare me with torture. In case you forgot, my soul is in an automaton body. I can shut down my pain receptors with a blink of an eye." He lies well. The functionality is present but not complete. It'll take half a day and it won't shut down all his pain receptors. He also doubts her torture trumps the eternal damnation that awaits if her plan fails.

She pouts. "Who said anything about torture? We're friends. Friends don't torture friends." She whispers, "Unless it is for training." Her grin returns and widens, and a foreboding chill runs down his spine. "Don't misunderstand. It's not my style, but I can if I have to." She gives a small wince at the last part. "Not well, but I can do it."

The young teen's small stature and wide blue eyes contrast against her words. The nonchalant attitude on inflicting pain to other people does not belong to a child so cute.

"But pranks? I love pranks, and I'm great at it too."

"Wait. You're threatening me with _pranks_?"

She nods.

"Are you forgetting it's your prank that got you in this situation in the first place?"

Her face reddens, but she maintains eye contact with him. "Yeah. It's my fault, but that's why I need to fix this." She jabs his rib with her finger. "You're the one that got Thalia and Zoe into this so you're helping."

He refrains from saying that his intent was to give Thalia an avenue to lessen Hades' rage. Shinobu is unaware of the strife between the two. He also refrains from reassuring her with his hypothesis. He is certain all will be well. Despite her good intentions, there is no need for her to waste time and energy solving this problem. "I don't have a death wish."

"Don't be so dramatic. You don't have to do much, and I'll take all responsibility if it fails."

He doubts her taking the blame will grant him mercy as an accomplice. "Neither your assurance nor your threat is enough to consider your proposal."

"That's because you don't know my reputation as the greatest prankster in Konohagakure!"

A village hidden in leaves? It confirms his suspicions of her origins. A forest dwelling society existing in America surprises him. A small, reclusive, tribal settlement would have the best odds of remaining hidden.

"And if you help me, I'll tell you a secret that guy kept from you." She grimaces when he straightens as her words grab his attention. "It may be nothing." Her gaze drops with her confession. "My gut says it's something, and I trust my gut more than I trust my brain."

"Not much of a statement. I'm not sure your brain is worth much of anything." He can't resist the obvious jab at her intelligence.

"Funny." She rolls her eyes. "Well?"

"You're talking about Pluto." He masks his interest. With her ignorance of monsters, he is certain she is unaware of Pluto's importance. "How about this? You tell me about it first, and I promise to help you if it is of significant value."

"Not much of a statement. I'm not sure your word is worth much of anything."

He smiles at her quip. His earlier statement proven false. Her education is poor, but she is far from stupid.

"He lied. It's a farm."

"What?"

"He said we had to clean one hundred eighty-eight rooms. I painted one hundred eighty-nine. He left out one room. When I last checked, the room has a guard. He moved it somehow, but I remember the door. It has lions, snakes, and birds on it. The emeralds on it are huge! It's a large, indoor farm."

"Idiot."

"What?"

"If what you said was valuable, I can choose to not keep my end of the bargain or lie and say your information has no value. You should learn more common sense." If it wasn't common sense, it should be.

She snorts. "Don't be silly. You'll keep your word."

"What makes you so sure?"

"My gut told me to trust you, and I trust gut more than I trust common sense." The room fills with her melodious laughter before she grabs his hand and pulls him out of the room.

He lets her drag him for an hour. He smiles at her hesitation whenever they encounter a skeletal servant. Her obvious fear doesn't stop her from approaching them and asking them questions. His amusement at her unease balances against his annoyance in becoming a glorified translator.

They find their target faster than Daedalus expected. The skeletal servant stands out against the servants they have met earlier. Her spectral form is more opaque and her skeletal frame is a cleaner bone-white.

Without warning, Shinobu leaps and tackles the woman into a hug. "We found you!"

Daedalus sighs and wonders if he should waste his energy translating that. The most tiresome aspect of translating for Shinobu is her rambling. She brought the topic into ramen and why it is the greatest creation since creation itself thrice.

To both their surprise, he doesn't have to. "You must be Shinobu."

Great. The one reason Shinobu dragged him around, and the woman speaks perfect Japanese.

Shinobu's hug tightens, and she stares up at the woman in joyous awe. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Daedalus interrupts before Shinobu continues. "You are the one in-charge of all the palace's servants, correct?"

"That is correct." The woman presents a small, pleasant smile, but doesn't act to remove Shinobu from her in any way.

"Then you can help!" Shinobu's loud exclamation echoes in the empty hall.

The woman raises a brow and directs her gaze to Daedalus.

"My companion wishes to ask for the servants' aid in undoing her vandalism."

Shinobu unlatches from the woman and clasps the woman's hands in front of her. "Please!"

The woman gazes down on Shinobu's pleading expression with a bemused smile. "I'm afraid that is not possible. Would it not be irresponsible of me to do so as removing your paint is _your_ punishment?"

Daedalus shrugs when the woman directs her gaze at him. He didn't expect a yes. It was a long shot, to begin with.

Shinobu lets go of the woman's arms and steps back. "I'm not trying to escape punishment for myself." She bows to her waist. "If he wants, your master can punish me later. I will shoulder the consequences." She springs up and stands straight. "But my friends and I are about to go on an important mission."

The woman's arms cross in front of her, and her smile disappears. "I don't see how that changes anything."

Daedalus steps closer to intervene but stops when his eyes glance over to Shinobu. Her bright, blue eyes locked with the woman's.

"It changes everything because it affects everything." Shinobu's voice lowers in volume, but they echo in his ears. "Our mission is to rescue our friend, Gleeson Hedge, but it is also to bring back your dogs. I don't know everything, but I understand enough. I understand that your domain needs those dogs back. Without them, your territory is chaos, and if we don't bring them back, things will get worse. You need us to succeed as much as we do, maybe more. If we fail, there will be nothing to rule over."

The silence lasts for a second, but Shinobu's gaze scream an eternity of words.

The woman nods and turns away.

When the woman's figure disappears from sight, Shinobu turns and runs. Daedalus grabs her by the arm and stops her. His mind takes a moment to return to the present and catch up to his actions. "Where are you going?" What's the rush?

"I'm going back to the room we passed a while back. If I hurry I might clean up five or six rooms before the day ends."

"Clean? What's the point of getting the servants' to clean if you will do the work anyway?"

"I didn't ask them to do everything. I asked for help, not a free pass. We needed help to meet the deadline and give us time to prepare for our mission. The prank was my mistake, and I'm not passing off my responsibility to someone else. After we succeed, I'll make it up to them too."

Impatient at his speechless form, she yanks her arm from his hold. She returns to her run and disappears from his line of sight.

"So, this is your master plan? You didn't expect her to go to your servant, didn't you? Shinobu's directness surprised me too. Why did you let her escape punishment? Perhaps you prefer a psychological over a physical one? The threat of their failure would be horrible as the deadline closes. Your deadline never was logical considering the circumstance."

Daedalus doesn't believe his own hypothesis, but he doesn't say as much. He doubts punishment is the end goal.

"Shinobu doesn't know it, but the man who told them which rooms to clean was your butler. He was the one in-charge of your servants. Yet today, you have a woman. A woman who by coincidence speaks Japanese. I suspect you hoped they would deem the task impossible and attempt an escape. You would catch them in the act. Or they fail. Either way, it would give you leverage for later."

Silence greets his words.

"But this way doesn't give you much for leverage. You could have appeared midway through that conversation and call foul, but you didn't."

He turns. Pluto is not there. Nothing but shadows.

"When his labors tasked Heracles to take Cerberus from you, he knelt in humility. You granted him permission. Did he surprise you then as she did now?"

Nothing but shadows.


	37. 1037: Delays

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Delays|-

* * *

"What do you mean we can't leave?!" Thalia's voice thunders through the hallway. "The rooms are clean!"

The servant in front of the door chuckles to herself.

"What's so funny?"

"Sorry, inside joke. You wouldn't understand." She winks in Shinobu's direction, who stares confused at both of them. "Orders are orders. No one goes in or out until tomorrow."

Zoe grabs Thalia by the shoulder. "Just let it go before you do something we will all regret."

Shinobu takes Zoe's cue and grabs Thalia by the elbow. Zoe nods and leads Shinobu to drag the protesting daughter of Zeus into an empty ballroom.

"What the heck?"

Zoe rolls her eyes at Thalia's glare. "Their lord told them to keep us here. That means nothing you say or do will change their minds."

"Gleeson might not last that long! The sooner we leave the better."

"In case you forgot, your satyr friends is not alone in his predicament. One of mine was taken as well."

"I didn't forget about Phoebe. I am concerned for her too. Why aren't you?"

Zoe grabs Thalia by the collar. "I am! But we cannot waste our time with your futile childishness. Get it through your skull. We cannot leave. They will not let us leave. And even if we escaped, do you expect he'll let us get away without consequence?"

"So what? We just wait here and do nothing?"

"We are not doing nothing. That's why we're here."

"I don't understand how dancing will help us in Tartarus."

"We are not dancing. We will spar."

"Spar?"

"You do know what a spar is, don't you?"

"Har har."

"Are you up for a round or not? I'm sure Shinobu would not mind. From what you told me, a spar with her might not be a waste of time."

Shinobu perks up upon hearing her name.

Thalia growls. "Let's do this."

Zoe smirks and brings out her bow. Thalia takes advantage of the short distance and brings out her mace. Before it expands into her spear, Zoe drops low and sweeps her by the legs. Thalia falls with a thud. Zoe points her arrow down at Thalia's face. "I win."

Thalia's bracelet expands into her shield and knocks the bow aside. Thalia rolls. She recovers her mace and turns it into her spear.

"First to two out of three?" Zoe stands halfway across the ballroom with her bow ready to Thalia's surprise.

Four arrows fly in quick succession. Thalia's shield blocks three, but the fourth nicks her ankle. The thin, red line cuts shallow but reminds her of her opponents inhuman skill with the bow. Despite the loss of Artemis' blessings, Zoe lived for more than a millennium.

Thalia rushes towards Zoe. She must close the gap. Zoe, in a display of dexterity and strength, runs backward while firing. She lowers her shield below eye level, but a silver streak forces her to raise it again. The thud on her shield tells her the arrow would have whizzed above her head.

They did not bring practice arrows because they did not expect to need any, but this is still a spar. Thalia will not say the words out loud, but the small scratch on her ankle could have been the end of her in a real fight. In a real fight, Zoe would not miss such a slow moving target from such a short distance.

More arrows fly, but she corners Zoe. Sudden applause and cheering startle her, and she falls once again to a leg sweep. "Damn it Shinobu!" Thalia gives the small blonde a light glare.

"Give her a break." Zoe stands halfway across the ballroom."It is not every day she can witness my archery."

"Damn she moves fast." Thalia keeps her praise a whisper.

If Zoe hears her, she does not acknowledge it. "Besides, you should learn to tune out distractions while in combat."

Thalia stands with a grunt. "Less talking more sparring."

Zoe smirks and lets loose another shot.

They return to their cat-and-mouse chase until Thalia corners Zoe. At close range, her shield's horrific aura is much more potent. Zoe's attacks are slower and clumsier.

With a powerful swing of her shield, she knocks Zoe's bow away. The maneuver leaves Thalia open to Zoe's kick to her wrist, and she drops her spear. Before Zoe can get away, Thalia tackles the older girl to the ground.

Zoe twists beneath her and knees Thalia on the thigh. Thalia shuffles up and straddles Zoe's waist, but Zoe lands an elbow to her rib. Thalia grabs Zoe's fist before it collides with her face and grabs Zoe's other arm by the wrist. She pushes Zoe's arms over the hunter's head, but her shorter stature means she is face to face with Zoe.

"I win." Despite Thalia's confidence, her words are shaky as are her breaths. Her arms don't have the strength to hold Zoe down for long.

"Maybe if you were older," Zoe whispers to her.

With a flash of pain, Thalia stumbles to her side. She rubs her nose and checks if any bone broke with the impact.

She hears Zoe sits up and groans. Zoe rubs her forehead with a frown. "Hardheaded idiot."

Thalia chuckles, and Zoe laughs with her. They lay on the ground in silence and stare at the intricate painting on the roof.

"Wait a minute."

Zoe and Thalia stare at each other before directing their gaze across the room. Thalia resists the urge to palm her face when she sees Shinobu leaning on the wall, reading her book. "Great. She got bored of us."

* * *

-|Time to Leave|-

* * *

"Where is he?" Thalia's growl matches her frown. "Let's just go and head to Tartarus. He's not coming with us either way." She fiddles with the strap of her backpack.

"We need a map. Calm yourself. Do not stress over a man's tardiness. They are always late."

"Yet it is more often the man who waits for the woman." Daedalus' voice behind them catches both off guard.

"Isn't that sexist?"

Daedalus raises a brow at Thalia's question.

"What do you expect from men." Zoe's comment hangs in the air for a moment. "What?"

The echo of footsteps interrupts their conversation. The sources are servants carrying gigantic, silver plates covered by a large, meat domes.

"Ah, just in time." Daedalus' tone is jovial, but his expression is serious. He moves to the servants, and the servants lift the cover. Underneath are a compass, map, bottle, the blades from the Nemean lion, and a bundle of cloth.

"What are -"

Daedalus answers before Thalia can finish her query. "They are items we prepared to help you on your quest."

He tosses the map and compass to Zoe.

"That is a map of Tartarus and a compass that will always point towards the tracker in my body. The map has its own compass which also points towards the signal."

He hands Thalia the bottle. "I'm guessing this isn't perfume."

"It is, but I wouldn't advise on using this on yourself. This formula mimics the scent which attracts monsters."

"Oh. Like the way the deer with special horns did in the park by the White House."

"That's because I used some of the horn to make that formula."

"Wait." Zoe points at Daedalus. "You stole our spoils! That deer was our prey!"

"The deer became your prey when one of your hunters got the idea to use my formula."

"It was for Artemis."

"I didn't take it all. I took enough for that bottle."

"How much would that be?"

"Half."

"Half!"

Thalia interrupts their argument. "The both of you can kill each other later." She motions to the remaining items held by the servants.

Daedalus snorts. "Fine." He hands Shinobu the silver weapons and new leather straps to hold them along with a note.

"Well?" Thalia places her hands on her hips.

"I don't know why I should tell you anything. It's her weapons, not yours, and the note already explains everything."

Both Thalia and Zoe level him with a glare. Thalia raises her brow when he keeps moving his lips without speaking.

Daedalus sighs. "The smaller daggers are now enchanted. They return to the straps when she sheathes the two larger daggers. The large daggers themselves have linings of other materials such as Stygian Iron. They should be lethal to almost any monster."

"Should be?"

Daedalus ignore's Thalia's question and tosses them each a fur jacket. "Those will protect you from Tartarus itself, but they won't last forever. By my estimates, you have less than a day before you feel Tartarus' effects. Within three days the coats will offer you no protection at all. It will protect you against magic, but that will deteriorate the coat faster."

"So we have three days." Thalia's words are heavy.

"You have as long as it takes." Daedalus' eyes roam over the servants. His message is clear. They can't fail. He moves to Zoe and points to her map. "Stay near the Phlegethon. The River of Fire flows from Hades' realm down into Tartarus. It keeps the wicked alive so they can endure the torments of the Fields of Punishment."

"So if our coats fail we drink fire to stay alive." Thalia's words are bereft of sarcasm. The perils of their quest weigh on them all.

* * *

-|Calm Before the Firestorm|-

* * *

As the entrance to Tartarus comes into view, so does the monster stumbling out of it. The woman's flaming hair and red eyes contrast with her pale skin. Zoe slays her with an arrow to the head before they can get a closer look.

Gold flickers at the corner of her eyes. Thalia squints at its direction but sees nothing.

"It's worse than I thought." Zoe keeps her voice low.

Thalia turns to her and waits for her to explain.

"That was the Nemean lion. The map says Tartarus has two exits. One leads to the mortal world. The other leads to the Underworld. If my assumption is correct, then that left monsters with a single way out."

Thalia catches on to Zoe's line of logic. "Because the Underworld has too many guards for them to cross. But with the Underworld in chaos they can now use two exits." Thalia shudders at the notion of the number of monsters in the mortal world doubling.

"The situation is not as bad you think. I doubt the Underworld is the easier path. Not every monster can choose it. The Nemean lion can attempt it as an escape route because of its invulnerable hide."

"But it's still worse than before."

Thalia and Zoe put on their coat, and Shinobu copies them and puts on hers. The coats are thick and furry, but they give no warmth. They do the opposite.

"It's cold." The cool coats feel out of place against the fiery image of Tartarus. Thalia coughs. "The air is rancid."

"Good. Without the coats, the air would be poison."

"Great." Thalia winces and rubs her throat. She almost misses Zoe's nod in reply, the small movement half hidden by the large, furred hoodie.

Before they venture further Zoe calls them to a stop. "We should be deep enough into Tartarus to avoid eavesdroppers."

"What?" Thalia grimaces at her rasp.

"Daedalus' advice."

It takes Thalia a second, but she remembers the weird moment in Hades' palace when he moved his lips but did not talk. In hindsight, it's obvious. Thalia wonders if Zoe has super hearing, or if she can read lips. A question for later when it doesn't hurt to speak.

Zoe approaches Shinobu and takes Daedalus' note. She then makes deliberate and exaggerated movements when she reaches into her coat. Thalia copies her. She feels an inner pocket and reaches in. Both of them pull out a small back pill from their coat. Shinobu sees this and shows them her own pill. The note must have told Shinobu of it as well. They return the pills into their coats and continue walking.

"So what are they?" Thalia runs her tongue over her cracked lips and reaches into her pack for water.

Zoe snatchers the canteen from Thalia's hands and takes large gulps.

"Hey!"

Zoe ignores her exclamation. "Remember how Hades tricked Persephone into eating six pomegranate seeds?" Zoe doesn't wait for Thalia's reply. "The pills we have are like those but into the land of the living." Zoe takes another large gulp from the canteen.

Thalia grabs it from her hand and drinks it empty before she returns the container to her backpack. She thinks back on her Greek mythology. Each pomegranate forces Persephone to return a month into the Underworld. That means the pills Daedalus gave them would force them to the land of the living. He gave them an escape route.

They stare at each other in understanding. Daedalus took a large risk creating those pills. Asclepius' cure for death led to his own demise when Hades and Aphrodite complained to Zeus. If his father wasn't Apollo, they doubt Zeus would resurrect Asclepius and make him a god.

"This isn't-"

"No. He would use it."

Thalia nods. Zoe is right. If Daedalus had The Physician's Cure, the cure for death, he would have used it already. "Side effects?" She coughs.

"Maybe."

It's also possible Daedalus is unsure if it would work. Are the effects permanent, or will they last a month each like Hades' pomegranate? There's also the possibility that it doesn't resurrect the user. Daedalus uses automaton bodies. The pills might take the consciousness to the world but not the body. Daedalus' plan might be to place that consciousness into an automaton. Thalia shivers. Death is an unpleasant thought, but would she be willing to live as an automaton?

They spend the rest of the walk in silence. Or they would, if not for Shinobu's whistling. How can she whistle? Thalia has a hard time breathing. Every once in a while, Shinobu will stop and set her gaze into the distance. Is the cheerfulness an act, and the air does get to her?

They stop near the Phlegethon. The distance has the fiery river in sight but not close enough to touch the glass-shard shore.

Thalia swipes a canteen of water from Zoe's pack for a sip. She returns it before Zoe can protest. "It's weird."

Zoe raises her brow at the comment.

"Dunno. Can't put my finger on it."

"It is calm."

"Huh?"

"We have been here for a while, but it is calm."

"Oh, yeah. That is weird. Where are the monsters?" Thalia can't believe they are wasting their breath on this topic. Have both of them gone insane? Can Tartarus do that?

"It might be too presumptuous to expect more attacks. There might be a lot of monsters, but we have no idea how large Tartarus is." Zoe's voice rasps, and she coughs twice.

"Or they've all escaped." Or are they holding on to their sanity by talking?

Shinobu jolts to a stand, and her head whips to the left. A speck of orange flashes in Thalia's periphery. Thalia's gaze snaps to the distance but sees nothing. Thalia shakes her head. It's nothing but the flames reflecting off a rock.

She stands. "Let's finish the quest before we loose our minds. Where to?"

"I hope not where I think we are going."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Off in a distance, a pair of crimson orbs observes the female trio.


	38. 1038: The Phlegethon

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|The Phlegethon|-

* * *

They follow the river of fire as much as they can. By now, the rancid air has dried Shinobu's mouth. Her whistling deteriorates into dry raspberries. She chuckles when Thalia glares at her under the oversized coat. Thalia gives out the image of a snarling puppy rather than the vengeful demon she hoped to portray. Despite the hellish landscape around them, she can't stop herself from this childishness. Her chuckles become wholehearted laughter. Zoe shakes her head at them both.

Neither Zoe nor Thalia notices Shinobu's eyes dart around. Thalia's naivete she expects. She finds disappointment in Zoe's lack of awareness, but she can't be too harsh. The subtle movement is easy to miss, and Zoe has no reason to suspect such an act from her. It's a potent reminder of the power of misdirection.

Experience tells her awareness is important, but so is a positive attitude. Thalia herself does not express anger as much as she does light annoyance. The girl should practice her poker face. Shinobu can spot the twinge of a smile even with the fur hoodie obscuring half of their faces.

Movement catches her eye, but it disappears before she hones on its location. They call this place Tartarus, and Daedalus' description is apt. The unnatural darkness defies logic, and the shadows creep unimpeded by light. The land is both desolate and claustrophobic. His last words on the note echo in her mind.

"Monsters are hindrances. Tartarus is the enemy."

Shinobu doesn't dare imagine how they would fair without their supplies and protection. Her fingers fiddle with the hem of her coat. The note claims the faux fur will protect them from the landscape. She trusts Daedalus's word, but she is curious. How does the clothing filter the poisonous air when it doesn't cover their noses or mouths?

She reaches into her pocket and double checks the small piece of plastic he gave her. The white rectangle she holds looks like paper at arm's length. Her sensitive fingertips expose this as a lie. The material is smoother than silk and tougher than cloth. No tears or creases form.

The writing is impressive too. The words are not written in ink. Would ink even stain the material? What baffles her the most how the message shown changes based on touch. A quick flick up with her thumb and the words scroll upwards as if they're text on a screen. The effect is invisible to anyone who doesn't view the paper from the right angle and distance. To them, it's just a piece of paper with a paragraph of English and a page of generic instructions in Japanese.

It is a work of genius and paranoia, just like the small, black suicide-pill in her pocket. Is it was like the Akimichi pills which convert body mass into a burst of energy? She isn't sure. The instructions he gave is vague.

"The emergency case, you tablet will swallow. Be careful: This last resort should be."

As mediocre as his Japanese is, Daedalus' written Japanese is worse. His tendency for unnecessary detail compounds the issue. After those two lines, he continues into different tangents.

He starts with a history lesson.

"Arutemisu her hunting friend, heard about the death of Hippolytos. Sorrow she struck. She gathered the body which dies, presented that to her nephew. Asukurepiosu was highest doctor in the Apollo son and Greece. She returning to life, asked to him to come having Hippolytos. Asukurepiosu draws up the remedy of the doctor, manages that in prince who dies. That made Hippolytos revive, but things of natural order upset."

What did that have to do with the pill?

It continues for another paragraph. She didn't read it. She didn't have the time. A quick scan shows three other names; Aphrodite, Hades, and Zeus.

The next parts that caught her eye weren't any better.

"The whistle of the Suteijian ice from Suteitsukusu of the river made with the ice. That unnatural is cool in the hand, you sense for a while."

The last two she bothers reading was not worth the effort.

"She hounds of the hell goddess is. She the large house of the night in Tartarus lives."

It should be impossible, but Daedalus is more long-winded with his text than his words. How does he make grammatical mistakes with this note when he doesn't make them when he speaks? There are also sections of the note not in Japanese, and that she is sure is not in English.

Movement from the corner of her eye stops her train of thought. Neither of her companions notices. Unlike the last few times, this source comes from above. Humans almost never look up. The dark 'sky' obscures the monster's dark clothes, skin, and leather wings. Shinobu's tracks its movements by focusing on its glowing eyes and the occasional flame.

"Hey!" She points to the familiar monster. This draws her companion's attention to her. Before they can redirect their sight to the monster she points at, the monster dives for them. Zoe reacts fast, and two arrows strike the monster's shoulders. Momentum carries it through. Shinobu tackles Thalia to the ground, but the monster's fiery whip catches Shinobu's arm.

Pain explodes from her shoulder, and the force throws her back. She crashes on the shore. Her clothes protect her body, but the glass shards cut her hands and cheek. The impact bounces her into the air and into the river of flames. Despite her experience, her new body's pain tolerance is low.

She curls inward in horrific pain as the river sweeps her downstream. The agony blares in her mind, but survival screams louder. Memories of lavender-tinged white and striking blue flash. She screams.

**She will not die!**

Shinobu goes down on her back, and her feet point downstream. Heat scorch her throat and lungs with each gasp. Pain envelopes her, and it takes her mind a minute to form a coherent thought. The river is not a rapid and there is no debris to dodge. She flips over and swims towards shore, with the flow of the current.

She reaches the shore. Her hands cling to the shards. The sharp pain lost in the sea of agony. Two pairs of arms pull her from the flames and carry her above the shore. They lower her to the hard ground with care. Her body convulses and gags.

Her shaking stops, and her breathing evens. Wetness touches her cheek. "Boruto? Himawari." Hinata. The blurs above her sharpen into two faces. Tears fall from Thalia's face to her own. A sudden pull later and Thalia crushes her in a hug. The silence gives way to ringing, but she can feel Thalia sobbing over her shoulder. Zoe's arms wraps around them both.

* * *

-|Dark Omen|-

* * *

For the next hour of their journey, Zoe and Thalia kept a larger distance between the three of them and the river. Zoe turns her gaze to her right where Shinobu piggybacks on Thalia. The river scorched all the fur from Shinobu's coat and turned it into a black, leather jacket. It burned away of the girl's other clothes. The blonde's weapons straps, forearm guards, and shin guards are all that's left under the jacket. Loss of footwear is the main reason Thalia carries Shinobu.

Zoe frowns when notices Thalia's head swivel to and fro. Caution is good, but extreme paranoia is counterproductive. Before she can tell Thalia to calm down, Shinobu smacks Thalia at the back of her head. When Thalia's head turns to Shinobu, the blonde tightens her grip into a small hug and gives a large smile.

Thalia stays frozen for a second but then relaxes and pats Shinobu on the head. Zoe sighs in relief, confident Thalia won't kill herself with stress. Shinobu seems to share her sentiment and smiles brighter.

It unnerves her. A small girl's innocent smile unnerves her.

The burning river heals, but it doesn't take away the pain. It would be pointless for torturing the wicked if it did. Memories of burning alive should be traumatic, and yet Shinobu smiles a genuine smile. The river left no mark on her body, but it should have left a mark on the girl's psyche, shouldn't it?

Zoe gives herself a mental slap to the face. She should be happy. The river did not just undo its own damage, it also removed her scars from turning into stone. It became a boon instead of a loss.

But it shouldn't be.

Zoe has lived for longer than some empires have lasted. She knows better. In her extended experience, she has seen countless horrors. Too many of her sister in arms bear the burden of their past. Time heals all wounds, but it leaves a scar.

Her body snaps her out of her thoughts in reflex, and her eyes scan the landscape. Centuries as a hunter ingrains the habit of awareness. It wouldn't do to die because one loses themselves in thought.

She stops, and Thalia waits for her. She pulls out her map and compass. At the corner of her eye, Thalia takes the time to set Shinobu down and check on her. Zoe nods to herself before she returns her attention to her map and compass. With the fur burned, they don't know if the jacket still protects Shinobu.

"What's wrong?"

Her grimace must be obvious for Thalia to notice it. "It is nothing."

Thalia scoffs at her deflection.

"We may need to veer away from the River Phlegethon."

"Sounds like good news to me."

"Thalia, burning alive might be horrible, but the alternative is worse."

"Yeah, yeah. So where are we going? Are we going right, or do we need to cross the river?"

Zoe hesitates.

"Don't tell me we're lost, and you have no idea where we are going."

"I think I know who took the satyr and Phoebe."

"Bad news?"

"Catastrophic. Are you sure you want me to tell you? I could be wrong."

"With our luck, you've hit the bull's-eye on our cause of death."

"Your naivete makes me forget how much of a pessimist you could be."

"So, who is it?"

"Nyx."

Thalia froze. "Are you serious?"

Zoe nods.

"Nyx, the same lady that scared Zeus enough to back off when he got pissed with her kid?"

"If I am reading them right, the map and compass are pointing towards The Mansion of Night."

"Or it's pointing to something beyond her house. Could go around it?"

"The Mansion of Night is at the edge of Tartarus. Go beyond it, and you fall into Chaos."

"Before it then."

"Hellhounds and Furies, Nyx makes too much sense."

"What do Hades' lackeys have to do with this?"

"That is the point. They serve Hades."

"I don't follow."

"Do you think they would betray the lord of the Underworld at a whim?"

"Okay. But why her? Aside from her being scary in general."

"They are her children. Hellhounds are children of the goddess Nyx and Cerberus."

"Eugh. I did not need that mental image. But didn't the Furies rise from droplets of Ouranos' blood?"

"In some myths."

"And in others, Nyx is their mom? It's nice to know not all myths are true."

"A lot of myths are inaccurate. A story passed down can change over time. But it could also be that both are true."

"Oh, right. I forgot how much the supernatural world likes to toss away logic and common sense. Almost makes you want to be human."

"Almost?"

"I like throwing lightning around. Besides, if I wasn't a demigod, I wouldn't have met Annabeth, Grover, Luke, or you and this brat over here." Thalia points her thumb to the girl on her back.

It is strange to see Shinobu listen in even though she can't understand them. But the girl's express tells them she understands the topic is a serious one. Zoe forgets how perceptive the child can be.

"So, Nyx."

Zoe nods.

"On a scale of one to ten, how screwed are we?"

"Would you not say we have long passed ten when we entered the Underworld?"

"Eh. I'd say that was an eight."


	39. 1039: Strange Sights

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Strange Sights|-

* * *

"What is that?" Thalia points to a ring broken, black, marble columns inside a large crater to their right.

Zoe rubs her chin but doesn't reply.

"Can't you check Daedalus' map?"

"I doubt this map of Tartarus belongs to Daedalus." Zoe raises the map and taps it with the back of her hand. "There is no way he could know it well enough to make a map this detailed."

"He's rubbed off on you. To the point, please?"

Zoe scoffs at the idea of a man influencing her. "That is not on the map."

"Are you sure we're not lost?"

"Thalia, I have been alive longer than your country has been on the map. Most of that time I spent as a hunter of Artemis. I do not get lost."

"What if the map is faulty?"

"If we consider the crater, we can assume it has not always been here."

"You are saying they fell into Tartarus. No way. Those pillars would be dust from the fall."

"Do not be so sure. The supernatural tend to go in the face mortal physics."

"Any guesses on what it is?"

"It is a shrine."

"You sure of that?"

"I have seen others, though that one is missing an altar."

They stop at the edge of the crater and check their surroundings. The center of the crater is low ground and an easy spot for an ambush. Thalia rolls her eyes when she sees Shinobu focus at a distance. She shuffles and shakes the blonde she is carrying behind her. She chuckles at Shinobu's pout.

With no enemy in sight, they slide down the crater then walk towards the shrine. Zoe eyes the pillars. "This is a shrine to Hermes."

"What makes you so sure?"

"The pillars are of Greek architecture, and their quality is far too high to be for anyone other than a god."

"I didn't realize you had an interest in architecture. You and Annabeth should compare notes."

Zoe shakes her head. "I recognize the design because I lived long enough to see them when Greece was still standing. The hunters of Artemis do not spend much time with civilization. I cannot tell if these are Doric, Corinthian, or a mere imitation of the Greek style."

"So what makes you so sure this belongs to Hermes?"

She points to the center surrounded by the marble pillars. Thalia sees the imprint for the missing altar and the drag marks on the ground.

"Aside from cooked meat, the scent of strawberries is strong here. The strawberry tree is one of his symbols of power."

"Cool. So what now?"

"The Mansion of Night is straight ahead."

"No plans to investigate? Someone has desecrated a god's shrine."

"That is a surprise. I did not expect for you to hold that sentiment to a god."

"I'm surprised you don't consider how close you are to one."

"We are hunters of Artemis. Our loyalty lies with her, not to any other." She bites her lips and looks up at the pillars but continues before Thalia can speak. "That does not mean I am against lending aid to a god. It just happens that we do not have the time." She then takes a silver bracelet and leaves it in the center of the shrine.

Thalia waits for them to hike up the crater before asking her question. "What was that about?"

"The gods are not omniscient, but they have great hearing when it comes to themselves. I did not want to risk angering the God of Travelers while we are in a middle of a dangerous journey."

"Smart move. I don't want to copy Odysseus' mistake of pissing off Poseidon while at sea. Twenty years in Tartarus ranks high in my don't do list. Do you think I should leave the speed god an offering as well?"

"No. He should understand our situation. Besides, you do not have anything to offer that we can spare."

"We can give him some of our rations."

"No!"

"You're right. With how these taste, he might consider them an insult."

"Stop!"

Thalia stops beside Zoe and follows her gaze down to the ground. "What? The ground ahead is muddy. We are wearing boots. Shinobu doesn't, but I can carry her through it. I'll drop her if she bites my ear, though."

Zoe grimaces and does not respond. Instead, she points left and further ahead.

Thalia squints and makes out a length of churning water. "I assume that's the source of all this water." She follows it backward with her gaze. "It the end of a river. Weird. I didn't know rivers could end like that. Is this how lakes start out?"

"No, lakes do not form this way. But that is not what should worry you. We are looking at a river."

"And?"

Zoe resists the urge to sigh. "Where are we?"

"Tartarus?"

"And what do you know about rivers in Tartarus?"

"They're bad?" Everything in Tartarus wants to kill you.

This time, Zoe releases a sigh.

"Don't ugh me! I didn't stay in camp long enough for them to teach this stuff to us." Though she doubts she'd remember if they did. Often, her many shifts in patrols tired her too much to pay attention to the lectures.

Zoe places her hands on her hips. "Rivers from Hades flow down to Tartarus. That is the River Acheron, also called the River of Pain."

"So, it is bad." Thalia shuts up at Zoe's glare.

"It serves as the ultimate punishment for souls of the damned. The water on the ground which shouldn't be there comes from that river. The water is bad."

"Okay! Okay." She avoids Zoe's eyes. They scare her more than her nightmares of falling. "So what now?" She almost forgets Shinobu's presence. A quick check shows Shinobu's attention is again elsewhere.

"We must find a way around it."

"It'll take forever to skirt around that area of mud."

Zoe shakes her head. "The wet patch reaches the Phlegethon."

Zoe's vision amazes Thalia. "But that's impossible. That's the side of the fire river we came from."

"This... stop could be recent."

"Or we might not have noticed it when we were chasing Shinobu down her scorch swim." Shinobu perks up at the mention of her name. If they crossed it before, maybe it was safe to cross it again.

"Another possibility we must consider is how time and space warps in supernatural locations."

"Don't. Thinking about twists in spacetime makes my head hurt. Let's keep it simple. We don't follow it right, so we go left, right?"

"Right."

They follow the River Acheron back but stay from far a distance. A fall down the Phlegethon was horrific, but it also healed its victim. She doubts they'd survive a dip into the River of Pain. They are so far away that Thalia can't see it in Tartarus' darkness, but Zoe assures her it is there.

Zoe points at a distance. "The gap thins there. Our best chance of crossing the river will be there."

They both frown at the thought of moving so close to the river. "Please tell me there's a bridge."

Zoe shakes her head.

"Can't we make one?"

"With what?"

"I dunno. How about those pillars in that shrine we passed earlier?"

Zoe glares at Thalia.

"Yeah, I know. Just throwing ideas around."

"A foolish idea."

"You got anything better?"

Loud rumbling interrupts Zoe's retort.

"What is that?"

A dim, amber glow lights up behind them. "Not anything good."

"Duh!"

A loud boom thunders, and fire sweeps through the land.

Thalia turns her head towards Shinobu. The fire was far away but races towards them. They can't wait.

They run.

Thalia's feet crash into the ground in rhythmic thumps. Her heart drums blood into her ears.

How far was-

She crashes into a wall. She crashes into a mesmerizing wall of malevolence.

_"It's your fault!"_

"No."

_"You should have never existed!"_

"No!"

_"Your brother would still be here if it weren't for you!"_

"Jason."

_"Camp would be safe if not for you!"_

_"How many more will die?"_

"..."

"Gleeson? Phoebe? Zoe? Shin-"

"Ouch!" Thalia's hand snaps to the ear Shinobu bit. The haze lifts. "What?" Her eyes dart to her right. "Zoe!"

Zoe stayed still on her knees in silence. Tears run down her face, glistening against the orange glow. Thalia notices her own tears and runny nose. She sniffles and wipes her face with her coat's furry sleeve.

She shakes Zoe. "Wake up." The flames roar behind them, but the river's shriek are all she hears. Shinobu's embrace tightens around her. Her own nails bite into Shinobu's leg. She glances at the inferno rushing to them and back to the immobile Zoe.

She slaps Zoe in the face. "Wake up!" No response.

Shinobu's arms leave her shoulders. A sharp pain erupts in her pinky, and her one-handed grip on the blonde fails. Her broken nail draws her attention the rivulets of red on her hands.

_"Blood on your hands."_

A grunt snaps her from her daze. Besides her, Shinobu places Zoe's arm over her shoulder. She stands, lifting the hunter with her, but the height difference makes it awkward. The pair teeters. Reflex takes over, and Thalia catches Zoe by the arm. She lifts that arm over her shoulder. Together, Shinobu and Thalia drag Zoe away from the approaching flames.

_"You will fail."_

Thalia shakes her head and focuses on running. She feels the heat behind them. The fire illuminates the river, the River of Pain. The mere presence of which drowns them in misery. They won't survive its waters. They must jump.

_"You will fall."_

She stumbles, and they almost fall. Thalia turns to her companions. "I'm sorr-"

Blue.

Calm blue eyes stare into her.

The same deep blue of her nightmares.

"_You wil-"_

A noise interrupts the river's spell. Words, unintelligible to her ears. Shinobu's voice reaches her, pulls into her, and grabs her.

_Trust me. I trust you. Believe!_

Shinobu rises. So does she. Shinobu runs. So does she.

The river comes closer and closer. Thousands of voices cry out, shriek in agony, and plead for mercy.

All she sees is blue.

Shinobu's blue eyes. The blue reflected by the seas. The bright blue of the sky.

Shinobu jumps. She flies.

A rush of emotions engulfs her. New tears touch her eyes. Joy. She's flying!

They zoom past the river below them. The explosion behind them is but a whimper from these heights. She sighs in relief. They lived!

Then exhaustion drains her. She screams. Fear. She's falling!

Her hands reach out in front of her and a cushion of air softens their crash. They tumble into the dirt.

Thalia coughs but rises. "Are you guys alright?" She looks up and freezes. Monsters surround them.

Zoe pulls herself up and grits her teeth. "Arai."


	40. 1040: Curses

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Curses|-

* * *

Thalia's gaze jumps from enemy to enemy as she drops her bag pack and brings out her spear and shield. She winces as she raises her shield below eye level. Despite the air cushion, the fall left her with a sore back and a bruised rear. She is thankful for the Aegis' aura of fear, but the enemy's reluctance won't last forever.

She thrust her spear forward, but Zoe interrupts her with a shaky grip on her elbow. Thalia glares at her but returns her gaze to their enemies. Their enemies inch forward sensing dissent among their prey.

"Don't kill them." Zoe's whisper is almost inaudible.

Thalia levels an incredulous expression at the idea but remains silent. Now is not the time for banter.

"They are arai, daughters of Nyx." That explains their resemblance to the Furies. "Arai are female spirits of curses. Kill one, and you receive the curse." The grins of the arai widen, and Thalia wonders if they can hear them.

Movement explodes from their right. "No! Shinobu!"

Two arai fall in one strike of Shinobu's silver blade. With a sweep of her hand, silver flies, and five more fall. With her jacket open and with her fluid movements, it is clear no affliction befell her.

"What? I thought you said-"

"..."

A monster leaps at Shinobu from behind but receives a mule kick to the jaw for its troubles.

"Then why?"

"The jacket."

Shinobu tosses a silver dagger at the downed arai. The rest take a step back at the new development.

"What?"

"The coats. They protect."

The arai's hesitation does not last, and they inch forward once more. Thalia steps forward, but Zoe pulls her back.

"What now? Let's help her. We're immune!"

"She is immune. We might not be."

An arai roars its battle cry, and four charge the blonde.

"Explain!"

"Phlegethon. Might have changed hers."

Shinobu cuts one down and blocks a claw with her forearm guard. Her other blade decapitates the attacker.

"Might?!"

"It might not be it. She is young. Not enough time for others to hate."

More monsters turn to golden dust. Thalia almost misses the tiny golden orbs that fall to the ground.

"I'm young!"

"Or her blades. They cut through the lion's. Maybe they cut through enchantments."

Thalia turns, but the rage in her eyes dies with the sight of Zoe. The trail of Zoe's tears remains damp. Her breath uneven. Her tall stance marred by slight trembles.

"We cannot risk it!"

Thalia bites down a scream, and sparks fly from the tip of her spear. Zoe's eyes widen before looking away. Zoe closes her eyes, bites her lip, and takes a deep breath. Thalia turns away, but Zoe catches her by the shoulder.

"I won't let her do this alone." Thalia grinds out her words, and more sparks fly from her weapon.

Zoe pauses but steadies herself. "There is a lot of ground left to cover after this." Not to mention the journey out of Tartarus. "We cannot help her if we die here."

"I would rather die than do nothing." Her shield's aura stops the monsters from attacking her when they have another to target. She refuses to hide behind her shield and leave Shinobu to herself.

"Death is not the worst outcome. If we become incapacitated, we will become a burden." Zoe interrupts Thalia's retort. "Do you think she will leave us if we fall? Do you think she will survive if we weigh her down?"

Thalia turns her head away. Zoe's words make logical sense, but they go against every fiber of Thalia's being.

"I am not saying we do nothing. We just have to be careful not to kill any of them. Shinobu is immune. We incapacitate. She can finish them off."

"Fine!" She turns and pulls away from Zoe's touch.

Thalia turns towards Shinobu who faced seven new arai. The monsters share her confusion on Shinobu's supposed immunity to their curses. She sees yellow eyes in the background shift with unease. Their fear and confusion prevent them from swarming the blonde, but it won't last.

With every kill, Shinobu's breath becomes more labored. The more they crowd around her the less opportunity she has to throw her smaller daggers.

A silver arrow pins one of the arai's by the foot, but it tears the arrow off without hesitation. More arrows fly and injure the monsters, but none put them down for good. Thalia leaps toward Shinobu and knocks one away with the butt of her spear.

She sweeps her spear under the legs of three. Two fall. One leaps at her. A quick bash of her shield knocks it down, but the two recover and charge. Silver daggers fly and turn them to dust. She gives a grateful nod to Shinobu.

More eyes stare at them. As their desperation grows, the enemy's bravado strengthens. Fanged teeth grin in sadistic malice. At this rate, they will tire down, and they will fall.

Her spear is heavy in her hand. The flight must have sapped her strength. Her next spear sweep stops after hitting two. Silver arrows whiz past her to Shinobu's enemy. A clawed hand grabs Thalia's weapon by the shaft. Reflex sends the arai flying with a jolt of electricity. The monster crashes on the ground incapacitated.

Incapacitated.

With a heave, she throws three monsters with the swing of her spear. She ignores the monsters rising back up and focuses on the charred monster's spasms.

Thalia looks down on her spear, then turns to Shinobu. She stares Shinobu in the eye and speaks. "I'll be back. Trust me." She hopes she can convey her thoughts without words as well as Shinobu could.

Thalia runs with her shield raised high and plows through half a dozen monsters. Her shoulder flares in pain with each impact. She returns to Zoe who is fending off six with her daggers. A broken bow lies on the ground. With her shield in front of her, Thalia lets loose a mighty roar. The monsters flee in terror.

"Thalia, what-"

"Shut up! I need to concentrate."

Zoe opens her mouth but snaps it shut under Thalia's glare. Zoe turns her gaze away from Thalia's eyes. "I'm sorry."

Thalia's glare softens but does not disappear. "Whatever. Go make yourself useful and cover me." She tosses her spear at Zoe and plants her shield on the ground as a deterrent. Thalia concentrates on her hands and almost misses Zoe's nod. She closes her eyes and recalls their time with the light bulbs.

"What are you doing?"

Thalia huffs at Zoe's interruption. "Remember that time when I had to power up that digger? I need to focus if I want to keep the voltage low."

"What are you planning?"

She can feel electricity arc between her hands. Thalia wonders if talking helps her concentrate. With a deep breath, she concentrates until the arcs stop. She brings her hands closer and more arcs form. Another deep breath and those arcs dim into nothing. Her hands close in a finger's width from each other.

"You said nonlethal, right? Well, what's more nonlethal than a taser?"

Zoe grabs her by the wrist and pulls her hands apart.

"Hey! What's the big idea?"

"First of all, tasers can kill."

"If what I do kills them all, that would raise the chances of me dying. You said it yourself. Better to die than be a burden."

"Second, you're doing it wrong."

That causes Thalia to stop and stare Zoe in the eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"How do I dumb this down for you?"

"Hey!"

"What you practiced in that cave with the light bulbs was controlling how much force you used. If you want to make a taser, you need a lot more force than what a light bulb can handle."

"Good. This should be easy then."

"It is still much less than what a lightning bolt gives out. But that is not the point."

"Then hurry to it."

"For it to be nonlethal, you must control the amount of electricity you use."

"Okay, you lost me."

"Think of it like a hose with electricity as the water. You need to make it so the water comes out with such force that it can knock down a wall. At the same time, you can only use a bucket full of water."

"Wonderful." She needs to focus. "Alright. Thanks. Whatever. Now, shut up."

Arcs fly from her fingertips. More and more fly until her hand buzzes like a thousand bees. Her eyes open and lock onto Shinobu's location. On top of shooting out a nonlethal wave of electricity, she must control it and avoid hitting Shinobu.

"Just in case I hit her, carry her to safety."

Despite her exhaustion, this is easier than powering the digger to clear a path. As she stares down on her electric hands, she realizes the hard part is committing. With the digger, failure was a setback. With this, failure means death to her and to her friends.

"Now or never." Her hands part, and she forces the electricity from her hands to shoot forth in a wave.

Time slows. A half-domed wall of sparks surges forth. The first three arai it hits falls. Before she can celebrate her success, she notices holes in her wall where it hit the arai. She focuses on closing the gaps. The wall hits more arai and creates more holes for her to fix.

Five more. Twelve more. Twenty?

Then Shinobu. She creates a hole for Shinobu to pass through. Thalia errs on the side of caution and makes it larger than necessary. She trusts Shinobu survive the few her "mega taser wall of doom" misses.

If they survive, she'll work on better naming her cool moves. Even if she only speaks them in her head.

The wave continues farther than she can see. She keeps at it until she can no longer feel holes appearing on her wall.

Thalia slumps in relief and exhaustion, her work done. Her hands numb and immobile. Legs wobble, and she drops to her knees.

A sudden arai's shriek startles her. She turns her head. Behind her two arai pin Zoe, and a third leaps at her. Claws dig into her shoulder before the monster throws her to the ground.

She hears Zoe scream, "No!" In her periphery, Zoe headbutts one of the two monsters above her. The attack stuns the creature, but Zoe's arms remain held down.

The third monster leaps at Thalia, claws first. Thalia forces her eyes open. If she dies, she'll do it with her eyes on her attacker. Her final act of defiance.

Claws touch the side of her throat before turning into golden dust. A silver dagger clatters to the ground. Not Shinobu's. Zoe's. The two other monsters are gone. Gold glimmers on Zoe's fur.

The hunter falls.


	41. 1041: First Aid

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|First Aid|-

* * *

The battle behind Thalia fills the air with slashes and grunts. For a second, she worries her "Taser Wave" failed. She pushes those worries aside. Shinobu can take care of herself in either case. Thalia will never admit it to anyone, but the small blonde's prowess in battle trumps hers by leagues.

It's not like she can help with her current condition. The flight and her attack took a lot from her. The wound on her shoulder worsens her exhaustion. She moves to her Aegis and collapses it into a silver bracelet.

Her eyes sweep the ground and lock onto her bag pack. With one arm, she crawls towards her supplies. She takes a quick glance at Zoe's limp form before she returns her attention to herself. With Zoe incapacitated, Thalia can't afford to ignore her own injury. If her wound worsens, Shinobu will have to take care of two downed teammates instead of one.

Thalia brings out the canteen and pours water to her shoulder and the cuts on her neck. "You'd think with all his wealth, Hades could afford antibiotic ointments or bandages." Though Daedalus told them the lack of medical supplies makes sense. Ghosts and ghouls have little use for them. "I should have brought first aid when I left camp." If Annabeth ever got herself a quest, she'd make sure she packed proper supplies. Though between her and Luke, it'd be a miracle if Annabeth gets to leave the safety of camp before she's twenty.

She reaches under her coat and pulls on her shirt's sleeve up to her shoulder. Her hands twist the scrunched sleeve and tuck the ball of cloth under. Not quite a bandage, but it will keep the pressure on the wound. She flexes her right hand to make sure she hasn't cut off the blood flow to her arm.

Confident she has done all she can for herself, Thalia crawls towards Zoe's limp form. "You better not be dead. I still have to yell at you and punch you." Her bracelet expands back into her shield, and she plants it into the ground. "Just in case." She stops beside Zoe and presses her ear against Zoe's chest. Zoe's heart thrums, and her chest rises and falls. "Thank the gods." They are slow and weak, but it's better than none.

With a heave, she pulls herself up with one arm to a kneel. Swollen eyelids catch Thalia's attention first. Gold dust falls from the fur when she opens Zoe's coat and checks for injuries. She almost misses the two broken fingers half-hidden by the coat's sleeve and fur. Then red catches her eye.

Two crimson dots seeps through the bottom half of Zoe's shirt. She lifts the garment up then grimaces when she realizes that Zoe's pants hide most of the wound. "No time for modesty." She undoes Zoe's belt and pulls the pants down.

Thalia recoils back and covers her mouth. She fights the temptation to dress Zoe back up to cover the large y-shaped gash. Her throat constricts as she inspects the injury. The deep wound has its arms start at hip level and meet down between the belly button and the crotch. The stem continues all the way down.

She turns away and vomits water. Thalia wipes her sleeve against her mouth. She coughs and her eyes water at the acidic sensation at the back of her throat. She spits off strands of fur from her coat.

Her eyes return to the horrific gash. "How are you still alive?" Thalia rinses the wound with water from her canteen. "I guess curses might not count?" The Hunters of Artemis have eternal youth as long as they do not die in battle or break their vow to the goddess. Thalia frowns. "Or whoever cursed you wanted you to live." She can't see any new blood spurting from the injury. "Tell you what. If I meet whoever wish this on you, I'll fry them for you. If you want them to suffer, well, I've learned how to make a taser."

A hollow laugh leaves her. Thalia ignores the sting on her shoulder as she tears Zoe's shirt in the middle and rips off the sleeves. She lifts her and pulls the shirt from under her. She bandages Zoe with the ripped shirt. After she redresses Zoe, she searches for her spear.

Said spear lies on the ground not far from Zoe. A thin layer of dirt dims the Celestial Bronze's glow. "If I didn't know better, I'd say Tartarus tried to hide you from me." She frowns at that. Tartarus is both place and primordial. She represses the urge to insult him. Best not to test her luck.

Thalia grasps her spear as a crutch. She winces when her own weight pulls at her wound, and she shifts the spear to her other arm. Her lids droop heavy, and her legs wobble. She slaps her cheek and lowers herself. Better to kneel and stay awake than to fall asleep on her feet.

She almost misses movement from her right. Her eyes snap wide, and she jolts up. Blue eyes stare into hers, and relief washes over Thalia. "Shinobu."

Shinobu's lips quirk a smirk before returning to a concerned frown. Blue eyes roam over Thalia's form, lingering on her makeshift bandage. Small hands hold her uninjured shoulder and give Thalia a slow but firm push backward.

"I can stand." But her body offers no resistance as Shinobu lays her down on the ground next to Zoe. Her shoulder and back relax, which surprises her. She hadn't noticed her muscles were so tense and taut. Dainty fingers slide her eyelids close.

Thalia last thoughts before sleep took her was of amusement. Somehow, the word dainty seems inappropriate when describing anything of Shinobu's.

* * *

-|Recovery|-

* * *

Zoe jolts up into the consciousness, and pain explodes from her core. Her torso slams itself back into the ground and knocks her teeth onto her tongue. She winces but focuses her attention to her surroundings. Or tries to.

She blinks but the blur in her vision does not disappear. Her breath hitches with panic.

She closes her eyes and places a hand over her chest. Zoe ignores the sharp pain from her two fingers and concentrates on her breathing. She tries deep breaths but the pain in her abdomen forces shallow gasps.

Her uninjured hand grips the ground beneath her. Damp earth greets her fingers, but no water spills from the soil. She realizes that the only thing keeping her back off the ground is her coat. The pain numbs enough for her to realize the bandage wraps around her from the belly button down.

The haze in her mind clears with realization and she sighs in relief. It is not unheard of for monsters to capture live victims. She doubts a monster would spend the time to bandage her.

Her hand pats around, in part to gather more clues to her location, in part to distract her from the pain. She freezes when her hand meets fur. Her hand creeps lower with caution and relaxes when they meet soft flesh. A soft chuckle escapes her when she remembers their furry coats.

She thumbs the callused hand underneath hers. "Thalia." Zoe chuckles at how much one's hands speak of a person. Her own fingers had calluses from her years as an archer. She could tell how each of the Hunters of Artemis prefers to fire their bows the same way.

If she were not a demigod, Thalia would still be a child, and perhaps she would have softer hands. Not dainty ones as Thalia likes getting her hands dirty and gets into a lot of fights. But they would not be as rough as they are. Thalia does not have the hands of a stubborn child, but that of a warrior, trained for battle.

"The world is cruel."

"Zoe?"

Zoe's hand flies as if Thalia's hand is hot iron. Her blurry eyes shift towards the blob of gold over black that is Shinobu. She wonders what it says about her that her mind's eye imagines the blonde with a smirk.

The sound of shuffling beside her causes Zoe to stiffen. Shinobu's exuberant cheer drowns out Thalia's mumbles.

"Shinobu?" Thalia pauses with a yawn. "Is it my shift already?"

Zoe smiles but keeps her head forward. "I don't know why you are wasting your breath." Her tone is light and playful. "She can't understand you, or did you fry a few brain cells by accident?" Zoe makes a mental countdown on when Thalia's mind will catch up.

Thalia gives a mumbled reply at first then sits up with a start. "Zoe! You're awake!"

Zoe hesitates when white invades her vision. How could she forgot their white fur coat and expected to see blurs of black? It's Thalia's color. "I am." She blurts out her words when she realizes her own silence and her train of thought. She opens her mouth to speak but finds her mind blank.

"So. How are you?"

Zoe grimaces at the awkwardness in their tone. Perhaps Thalia didn't know how to be nonchalant about her injuries. "I am fine." Broken fingers and blindness are horrible afflictions on their own right. "I am..." For a proud archer, they are devastating. "Fine." Then again, she might be reading too much into it. Perhaps Thalia is being casual about the topic, and she is seeing things that aren't there.

"No, you are not." Thalia's finger to her Zoe's lips cuts off her protest. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm trusting you, that you're not stupid enough to risk your life for your pride. Your little hunters need their bossy mother hen. Remember that. Can you move?"

"I cannot." Zoe bites back a retort at Thalia's barb at her fellow Hunters of Artemis. She is Artemis' lieutenant, but her comrades won't fall with her death.

"Can we move you?"

Zoe closes her eyes, takes a shallow breath, then nods.

"Good. The sooner you can leave Tartarus the better."

"Leave?"

"Yes, leave!" Thalia grips Zoe by the shoulders. "You're in no condition to continue this suicide mission Hades sent us to."

"I am fine."

"I take back what I said. You're delirious. I'm-"

Zoe grips each of Thalia's hands and pulls them off her shoulders. She winces when her broken fingers protest the action, but she doesn't let go. Zoe levels an intimidating glare at what she hopes is Thalia's eyes. "We do not have a choice."

"Screw Hades! This was a failure from the start, and he knew it."

"I doubt he had much choice."

Thalia ignores her. "He will not be happy we quit, but you and Artemis have been together for a long time, right? I dunno. Can't you ask her for protection? She owes you that much."

Zoe shakes her head at Thalia's naivete. "I owe her far more than she owes me."

"Still."

Zoe rises closer to Thalia and grabs by the shoulder. The pain in her hand dulls to a throb, but her abdomen sears with agony. "We cannot fail." She covers Thalia's mouth with her hand and stops her retort. "Stop and think about it. What are we trying to do?" She lets go of Thalia and lays back down.

"He sent us to fetch his little mutts."

Zoe rolls her eyes at Thalia's childishness. The effect with her blurred vision was dizzying. "Why?"

"So he can spank them?"

"Thalia."

"Okay. I get it. The Underworld needs its guard dogs."

Zoe represses the urge to sigh. She doesn't want Thalia to consider her words as a lecture from an authority, and it would hurt her abdomen. "Yes, it does. You saw it yourself."

"The afterlife is falling into chaos."

"Not the best choice of words considering how close we are to 'it', but yes."

"Oh right. The first primordial."

"Thalia. If you forget everything else I have said so far, remember this one thing. The Olympus, the mortal world, the Underworld, and Tartarus connect with each other. Events in one ripple throughout the others. No doubt the mortal world is experiencing some of those ripples right now. We cannot see it because we are here, but trust me it has."

"Great. I love having the fate of the world on my shoulders." Thalia's sarcasm is as blunt as ever. "Why can't the gods fix their own messes?"

"As much as they may not wish to admit it, they need us as much as we need them. No god can enter the domain of another unless invited by its ruler. There are exceptions, Hermes for one."

"Demigods can go where ever we please, so they send us on these fetch quests."

"Mortal humans too, but it is a moot point since they cannot see through the Mist."

Thalia tsks.

"I would add that it is possible Hades could storm into Tartarus himself." The domain boundaries serve the gods and lessen the conflicts which occur between themselves. "But-"

"That would mean leaving the Underworld without his protection."

Zoe smiles. Thalia is stubborn and hardheaded but not stupid. "It risks both him and his domain."

"And?"

"And what?"

"I've been with you long enough to see when there's more so spill."

"And he will not dare anger Nyx."

"He knew it was her."

"She is a rather obvious candidate as the mother of hellhounds."

"Would have been nice to learn before we got ourselves into this mess."

"You would have protested."

"I protested either way. Besides, he did not give us a choice, remember?"

"You would have gone either way. Your friend's life is at stake, remember?"

"We are rescuing one of yours too."

"You would not abandon this mission were you?"

"I didn't say _we_ were leaving, just you two. I can finish this alone."

"How did you hope to tell Shinobu your plan without words?"

"She's smart. She'll figure it out."

"You think she will abandon you here on your own?"

"Yes?"

"You are a suicidal idiot."

"So are you."

Zoe smiles at Thalia's resignation.

"You'll drag us down. Dead weight. Worse than dead weight. We must work extra hard so you don't keel over and die."

Zoe's grin widens at Thalia's banter. "Give me my bow, and I can take on more monsters on my back than you could on your feet."

"With broken fingers?"

"It can hold a bow, and my uninjured hand can draw."

"Without your sight?"

"It will get better."

"You're sure about that, are you?"

"My hearing is excellent."

"Fine, but if you hit me, make sure I die, or I'll fry you."

"Dodge."

"Right."

"Get your rest. You'll need your beauty sleep if you want to less useless than you already are." White leaves Zoe's vision. "Damn. I'll find Shinobu so I can take the second watch. The stupid blonde went on patrol during our chat. If you're in danger, scream. We'll come right away."

Thalia's yells at Shinobu become faint whispers in her ears as exhaustion overtakes her.


	42. 1042: Recovery

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Recovery|-

* * *

With practiced ease, Shinobu prowls forward. From the waist up, the blonde in the black jacket appears to glide through the air. She holds back a frown at her pace. Stealth ranked lower in her repertoire, but she'd say that is relative. She gained other skills that took its place on the list. Most of those abilities are beyond her current capabilities. Without them, her stealth defaults upward. Her pride as a prankster would demand no less.

She forces the frown off her face. It is time she stopped comparing her current form to her past life. She will not waste time lamenting her loss. A new name, a new life, a new world.

New friends. A sly smile creeps to her lips. "Boo!" She doubles over in laughter at Thalia's squeak. The glare the girl sends her way makes her laugh harder. Thalia's red cheeks and fluffy coat don't make for an intimidating image.

Before Thalia can leave, Shinobu points to herself and then towards Zoe. Thalia nods and walks away from Shinobu to take her turn on patrol.

Shinobu smiles as she hears Thalia's grumbles. Scares are quick fun, but she has another reason for her recent mischief. Patrol is tedious and monotonous. A small reminder to stay alert will help even if Thalia won't recognize it as such.

Muffled screams, almost inaudible to Shinobu, prompts her to run to Zoe. She reaches the girl in time to see her jolt up from her nightmares. She squats down and steadies Zoe until her trembling stops.

"Thank you."

Shinobu raises a brow at Zoe's thanks, no longer surprised she understood Zoe's words. Zoe didn't speak her language nor the Japanese Daedalus and the two blonde boys from camp use. This is not the first time Zoe spoke that way, and neither is it the first time Zoe awoke after a fit.

She returned earlier to let Thalia take her shift for patrol when Zoe sprung up crying. Zoe's groggy thanks afterward startled her then. The language was foreign to her and yet she understood Zoe's words. Zoe fell asleep as fast as she awoke. She didn't have the heart to wake either girl. Thalia's ignorance of Zoe's outburst told her the lightning girl needed her rest.

The second time, she heard Zoe's screams. Shinobu rushed back to find Thalia comforting a hysterical Zoe. When she got close enough, she heard Zoe mumble half in English and half in this new language.

She doesn't know Thalia if understood to Zoe. Thalia was busy getting Zoe back to sleep. She didn't even notice Shinobu and was in no condition to take her shift. Shinobu went back to her patrol without a word. It was a good idea to make sure there are no enemies heard Zoe's screams.

This time, Shinobu checks the surroundings to see if anyone heard Zoe's distress. She doubts it. Shinobu herself would not have heard Zoe from the perimeter if she tried, but best make sure.

Zoe thanks her again, but this time, Shinobu has to infer Zoe's intent through her body language and tone.

"Can you understand what I'm saying?"

Zoe answers her question with a blank expression.

Shinobu gives Zoe a resigned smile. It was too much to hope this new mystery would be easy to solve. Without a word, she pushes Zoe back down so she can return to her sleep. The girl doesn't have the strength to resists. Zoe gives in and lays down, but her eyes remain open.

Zoe's gaze wanders around, and Shinobu doubts she can convince Zoe to sleep even if she can talk to her. She sighs in frustration at Zoe's stubbornness. She wonders if this is how granny Tsunade felt with her antics.

Zoe's wondering gaze settles on Shinobu's feet. Her eyes widen, and she almost sits back up, but Shinobu catches her and pushes her back down. Shinobu appreciates Zoe's concern, but she should worry about her own self more.

She takes a seat and shows Zoe the bottom of her feet. They are bloody and red. Zoe's right hand moves to touch it but hesitates. She hushes Zoe's concern and gives her a small smile.

The ground here feels like sand paper. She noticed it halfway when she was fighting monsters. She ignored it until now out of necessity. After the fight, she needed to watch over the downed girls. She checked their bags for anything she could use as makeshift footwear but found none.

If she had more chakra to spare, it would be easy to shield them with a thin layer. If she had Kurama, she would heal faster than her feet takes damage. She has neither so she decided to bear with it until Thalia was well enough to stand guard.

The damage to her feet is superficial. It would be a problem if she continues to abuse them, but there is something she can try out that might help. With Thalia up and about, Shinobu can attempt it without fear of an attack.

Shinobu fights the urge to close her eyes. She wants to see the results as they happen. Zoe's focus on her tells her Zoe is curious. Zoe could also just have nothing better to do than watch her.

She holds back a chuckle and takes a deep breath. Chakra flows to her feet. The lack of its glow reminds her of her current pitiful reserves. She shakes those thoughts away. Her mind drifts back to that time against that skeleton. New name, a new life, a new world.

Exhaustion engulfs her yet she has not gathered enough chakra for the simplest Rasengan. New limits.

Chakra in her feet separates into its base components. A burst of spiritual energy escapes her. New strengths.

Zoe gasps in surprise. Zoe can't sense chakra or spiritual energy, but she doesn't need to. New friends.

The blood and dirt on her feet hide most of the change, but the result is obvious. Blood flows then stops. Wounds clean then close. New possibilities.

She wonders how permanent these scars will be. She the scars from her failed sage mode became less noticeable during her stay in the palace. Maybe these will fade too?

Whatever the case, she is glad her hunch proved correct. She feared her knowledge of chakra was inadequate. When she used spiritual energy against the skeleton, her stone feet became normal.

Her initial thought was chakra. She gathered a lot of chakra to convert in that fight. If nature chakra turns flesh to stone then it makes sense for human chakra to return them to human flesh. It is possible her Uzumaki vitality also helped.

Except, her scars faded. Chakra alone doesn't heal. If it did, there wouldn't be such a high barrier to becoming a medic-nin.

She had more chakra when she fought the golden lion, but it was Daedalus who healed her. Her leg moves unhindered thanks to him. If it weren't for the round scar on her thigh, no one would believe she had a rod through her leg.

Her feet became flesh again, and her scars faded during the fight with the skeleton. It makes sense to pinpoint healing to that moment. It was the single most use of spiritual chakra to date.

Except spiritual energy can't be the answer either. Spiritual energy comes from the mind, not the body.

Physical energy would make more sense, but she didn't make physical energy. Or did she?

That realization brought her here. She got spiritual energy from chakra, but that meant she also created physical energy. She projected spiritual energy, so that left physical energy in her system.

A sudden shout interrupts her thoughts. She stands alert and sees Thalia run towards her.

Behind Thalia is a giant snake.


	43. 1043: Giant Snake

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Giant Snake|-

* * *

Shinobu runs towards the giant snake, daggers in hand. She winces as the ground beneath bites into her exposed feet with every step. The healed flesh is sensitive and the moist dirt acts more like rough sand than mud. "There is something wrong with this place." Her voice rough as the air dries her mouth. By the sounds of Thalia's shouts, hers is dry as well. The land, the air, the darkness; all aspects of this place fight against them. They should have spotted the large creature far in advance if not for the unnatural darkness.

Green and gold scales covered the giant snake, and yet shadows obscure its head when it rears to strike. Shinobu's trained eyes would miss the serpent's outline if not for its eyes. The blue-green orbs shine through the darkness.

Lightning crashes into the creature's hide before it can attack. The bright flash unable to show the creature's full length. They faced a bright giant cloaked in shadow.

The serpent recovers in an instant and strikes. Dust flies from its wake, and Shinobu leaps blind to the left. She flies higher and faster than she expects, forcing her to roll. The snake's head returns poised at towering heights before her tumble ends.

More lightning hits the serpent's side but with less flash and crackle. Shinobu risks redirecting her gaze to check on her allies. She returns her sights to her enemy before her mind processes the image. She leaps right before the gaping maw bites into the ground. The power of her leap, familiar but surprising, forces another roll. Coarse mud cuts into her palms. She ignores the pain and focuses on what she glimpsed.

Zoe is searching their bags looking for a means to help them despite her condition. She admires the injured girl's effort, but it is in vain unless she can throw at cannon speeds. The pack is empty of supplies other than food and the golden glass orbs the swarm of bat ladies dropped upon death. Neither can penetrate the giant's thick scales.

Thalia is on her knees, panting. Thinking back, perhaps Thalia's power is not as potent underground. She has improved, but Thalia can't call lighting from the sky in here. The idea wasn't absurd from a shinobi's perspective. Thunderclouds can empower Lighting Release. She imagines Thalia using lighting here is akin to a shinobi using Water Release in a desert.

They were both stubborn idiots. Shinobu grins in nostalgia. Their tenacity reminded her of her own, of many of her friends', and of her son's. If Gai were here, he'd be spouting off about their 'overflowing youth'. A chuckle escapes her and blooms into laughter.

* * *

-|Dynamic Duo|-

* * *

"That idiot. How can she laugh at a time like this?"

Zoe cannot stop the smile on her face as she hears Thalia's complaint. "You should save your breath. I can hear you panting all the way from here."

"You should go back to bed and not aggravate your wounds."

"Should you not focus on firing lighting?"

"Can't. The dust cloud is too thick. I might hit Shinobu by accident."

Zoe turns her head towards the fight and frowns. She drops her gaze to the mud around her knees on the ground. "Wet earth does not make dust clouds."

"Tartarus?"

"Tartarus." Zoe winces at the name. Names have power. Then again, Tartarus already has his attention on them and hindering them. She herself has not been consistent with her caution. "Men are a bad influence."

"What?"

"Nothing." Zoe doubles her effort in searching their packs. She wishes she can set aside its contents without them sinking into the mud. It is the most overt sign that Tartarus' intervention is deliberate. Otherwise, she would dump the golden glass orbs to the ground so they do not get in the way of her searching. "What are these, anyway?"

"Spoils."

"The Arai."

"Any idea what they are?"

"A few guesses. Dust cloud still up?"

"It's getting better."

Zoe stops her fruitless searching and returns her attention to the fight. "She is riding that thing?!"

"She's what?"

"Shinobu is on its back."

"Any idea what she's trying to do?"

Zoe takes a quick glance at Thalia squinting at the dust cloud, her eyes looking far left of the action.

"Is she winning?"

Zoe grimaces. In truth, her eyes can at best make out mere outlines for fractions of a second. Her vast experience as an immortal hunter allows her to make a rough guess on what little she can glimpse. She is certain Shinobu is atop the giant thanks to the occasional glimmer of her silver daggers. "Her daggers should be able to pierce the thick scales."

"Should?"

"The snake is moving around a lot. Anything more than a shallow cut will be difficult to get."

"Do you think blinding it would help?"

"I am not sure." A cornered animal is a dangerous animal. "If you can do it go for it." Its movements are erratic already so she hopes blinding it would not make it less predictable. If they are lucky, it would force it to flee or give Shinobu an opportunity to land a killing blow.

Thalia runs to Zoe and thrust the spear sideways to Zoe's face. "Take it."

"What?" As Zoe asks, Zoe takes the spear from Thalia's hands.

"You point and I'll shoot."

"I repeat, what?"

"You can see them right?"

Zoe hesitates but decides her pride is not worth the risk. "Sometimes."

"If you had your bow and arrow, could you make the shot?"

Zoe grimaces. Thalia is asking her if she can hit a moving target under the poorest visibility from quite a distance away. "I cannot guarantee snake eyes in one shot, but I can guarantee I will not hit Shinobu."

"Bull's-eye. Snake eyes are for dice."

"We are talking about the eyes of a giant snake."

"How many shots would it take you on average?"

Zoe reminds herself that this is not the time to argue about the infuriating language. "Four or five for each eye."

"I can't make ten or twelve. Can you do it in half that?"

"Maybe. Can you tell me what you got in mind first?" Zoe has an idea on Thalia plan, but she wants to hear it from Thalia herself.

"I can't see them. You can but don't have a bow. I've got lightning. You aim. I shoot." Thalia does a quick duck and rises back up between the spear and Zoe.

Zoe hides her relief as Thalia helps hold the spear. Her shoulders are less sore, but it is still uncomfortable to raise and aim the spear. "Can I not point with my finger instead?"

"I can't see what you do. I don't have a lot of juice left so we can't afford to miss."

"How does the spear improve your aim?"

"I'm going to guide the lightning to be straight and follow the spear's length."

"It sounds as if this will take a lot of concentration. Remember not to fry us on accident."

"Don't worry. The shock won't hurt me."

"Thanks."

Zoe can see the edge of Thalia's smile from the behind.

The girl between Zoe's arms gives her a small nudge with an elbow. "Tell me when to fire."

It is awkward aiming the spear with her arms so far out to accommodate Thalia inside. Thalia must have noticed because she backs into Zoe and pulls the spear closer. Before Zoe can comment, a flicker of green come to her sight. "Fire."

A half hiss, half screech echoes through the air. "Did we hit it?"

"Yes." Zoe decides not to mention the great deal of luck it was that they did. Her aim was off by a small margin which at this distance meant they would have missed by miles. The lightning launched a quarter second late and curved near the end. They were fortunate that both their errors canceled each other out. Best not say anything that might make Thalia lose her focus.

Their second attempt does not share the luck of their first. The delay extends to half a second, and Zoe's attempt to correct for it fails against the snake's speed. Zoe's eyes hurt from the two bright flashes they had to endure. She pulls the spear closer for better aim. Thalia's ragged breathing rumbles over her.

Another flicker of the giant snake's luminous eyes flashes after a short flicker of orange. Her hands tingle as lightning flies from the tip of Thalia's spear without her signal. "I did not say fire."

"Sorry. Sorry." Thalia pants between her words. "You tensed."

"Never mind. Get ready." She can berate Thalia later. Now was not the time to dwell on mistakes. Her eyes water. Green. "Fire!" Sudden shock accompanies the blinding flash and her hands release the spear.

Thalia collapses with a sudden thud.

* * *

-|Wild Ride|-

* * *

Shinobu can't stop her smile at the wind rushing around her despite the light scratches from the dust. It's strange that this sensation of speed will be among the fastest she will experience in this life. The funniest part is that she'd have considered this snake slow in her old life. It's moving slow enough that she can run along its back without using her chakra to stick to its scales.

The two times she's had to use chakra was when the snake lost its eyes. At first, she doubted her decision to leap over the giant snake. Her initial attempt to attack the snake proved dangerous. Her daggers don't cut deep enough to be anything but superficial. The blood makes the scales slippery.

With that in mind, her goal is the head. Much easier with the serpent blinded but still dangerous.

She gathers chakra into her core and then splits it into its components. Her arms stretch forward and launch the spiritual energy into the serpent's head. The wounds on her hands and feed and the light scratches over her body heal with physical energy. She smiles when the giant snake freezes in place and takes advantage of it with a mighty leap.

Her daggers point down as she prepares to land blade first into its skull.

The snake recovers and directs its burnt eyes to her. Too late to change course, Shinobu falls into the serpent's maw.

Blind and free of the pest on its back, the giant snake relies on its remaining senses for a quick escape.

An escape cut short as falls over dead.

"Yuck!" Shinobu's shoots out of the snake's mouth before the head can crash into the ground. She lands into a deft roll through course mud that opens up new cuts that heal as soon as they form.

It's possible she was better off staying in the snake as it fell. The insides are soft and can cushion a fall better than landing into the ground. At worst, she might need to cut her way out. But she preferred getting out of the snake as soon as she could.

"Two lives. Two different worlds. And giant snakes eats me, and I kill them from the inside on both."


	44. 1044: Patterns

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Patterns|-

* * *

A sudden silence fills the area as the dust cloud settles.

"Did we win?"

Zoe jumps at Thalia's voice. "I thought you were out cold."

Thalia props herself up by her elbows. "You should worry about yourself. Lay down. You'll reopen your wounds if you keep standing."

Zoe snorts. "If I have not aggravated them so far, I doubt a few seconds on my feet will." Despite her words, a wave of nausea forces Zoe down to sit beside Thalia.

"Do you think Shinobu is okay?"

"She survived worse."

Thalia winces. "Yeah. Her dip in the River of Fire was bad, but it's a healing river. I never heard of a healing giant snake."

"Funny. I remember people associating snakes with medicine in my time. The Staff of Asclepius' association with medicine and health care continues in modern times."

"Okay. I get it. Stupid me."

"No comeback? That fight took a lot out of you."

"You're not worried about Shinobu?"

Zoe's tongue flicks over dry lips, but her tongue is also dry. "I am."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get her."

Her frown turns into a grimace. Zoe closes her eyes and lets out a frustrated sigh. "I cannot. You cannot either."

Thalia answers with silence.

"You have been trying to push yourself up since we started talking."

"Good eyes."

"They are, but not right now." Zoe's closed lids tighten.

"The curse on your eyes?"

"No. Whatever it was, the curse was temporary. It cured itself the moment you left to patrol our perimeter."

"Then what?"

"I am tired."

"You can't stand up?"

"I have been trying since I sat down."

"Headache?"

Zoe nods.

"You're sure it isn't related to the eye curse?"

"It doesn't matter either way!" She does not shout, but her words come out with more bite than she intended. She takes a deep breath and her expression relaxes. "I am sorry."

Thalia waves it off. "My head hurts too."

Zoe gives Thalia a small, grateful smile. Her sight is precious to her. Its loss, even temporary, sends lead weights in her stomach. Her broken fingers ache and throb, but they will heal in time. If they do not, she will learn to draw with her remaining six.

"Shinobu's fine."

Zoe's eyes blink then open. "That is not Shinobu."

"So I was right. The silhouette is too big."

Way to big. "Yeah. Shinobu's not taller than a giraffe." The humor in her jab is dry as she wills her body to rise. It does not. The telltale scent of ozone alerts her to Thalia's attempts to summon lightning. Sparks fizzle for a second before dying into silence.

Thalia's elbow's give way, and she collapses in a thud. Zoe follows soon after.

Nausea returns in full. Zoe fights the urge to throw up her non-existent breakfast. "It seems one of us keeps losing consciousness after a fight." Maybe her memory is faulty, but she cannot recall otherwise. Her eyes drift to Thalia.

The daughter of Zeus is out cold.

"I was hoping we'd get through this without one of us dropping unconscious." Zoe's next words before her drop to exhaustion fell deaf to her own ears.

* * *

-|Nightmares|-

* * *

Pain. She feels nothing but the pain. The metallic taste of the blood coats her tongue.

Warmth bleeds from her body, and the river replaces it with cold.

The weight above her, pinning her deeper into the wet earth is of a body. If she were not drowning in river water and her own blood, her nostrils would fill with the stench of death.

Agony gives way to numbness. Her mind becomes a haze of memories, and she blurs through visions.

She is donning armor in haste. A flash. She wades through the frozen river. Another flash. She faces a war elephant.

Then death.

* * *

Zoe jolts up from her bed. Her breaths fast and heavy. Her eyes stare at her fists clenched on her sheets. Tears blur her vision, and blood drums her ears deaf.

A hand on her shoulder snaps her from her trance, and her head whips to the right. Blue eyes greet hers.

"Are you okay?"

The voice echoes in her mind, but it takes a moment for comprehension to sink in. "Shinobu!" Her hands rise to her mouth as her own outburst startles her.

"Can you understand me?"

She wills herself to take deep breaths and half succeeds. "Yes." Two more shaky breaths. "Can you? Can you understand me?"

"Yes."

"How? No one can learn English that fast." Unless she has been under for a whole year, Shinobu's accomplishment is impossible.

"This is English? Are you sure? The books I've read doesn't sound like this."

It takes her a second to process Shinobu's words. She is right. "No. It's not English. This is..."

"What?"

"Since when could you speak Latin?"

Shinobu shrugs. "I don't know. It's weird. How about you? Could you always speak Latin?"

Zoe opens her mouth but stops. A dry chuckle escapes her. "I do not remember." The chuckle gives way to hysterical laughter. "I do not remember." Pain flares in her head.

Shinobu places a hand on Zoe's shoulders. "Are you okay?"

She takes a deep breath, and the headache dulls to a throb. "Yes. No. I do not know. This is confusing. I..." Her words die in her throat at the sight of a small red fox with crimson eyes, blood dripping from its muzzle. Its jaws open and swallows her world in darkness.

* * *

"Are you alright?"

Her body springs forwards, but hands on her shoulders keep her down on her bed.

"Zoe. Are you okay?"

"Thalia!"

"You had a dream?"

"It was a dream?" She pulls Thalia's hands off her and rises up. Her eyes jump to the space behind Thalia and roam around in search of the fox. Nothing. Not even a drop of blood on the floor. "It was just a dream." More like a nightmare.

"Are you okay?" Thalia didn't sound convinced, but she didn't push the issue. "What was it about?"

"Nothing. I thought I was... Where is Shinobu?"

"Shinobu? She's outside looking like she lost her car keys."

"Did she come here?"

"Yeah. About thirty minutes ago but she left soon after. Well, more like ran out. Why?"

"Nothing." Shinobu must have talked to her while she was asleep and caused her to dream about the blonde. "Did you see a bloody critter around anywhere?" Her eyes return to search the area behind Thalia.

Thalia chuckles. "Why? Can a hunter be afraid of small animals?"

She blushes at the thought of a nightmare spooking her and her current inability to hide her emotions. "The daughter of Zeus afraid of heights."

"Hey. I got over that."

"When?"

"I flew us over the river, remember?"

"Once. A single flight is not enough." Fear isn't something so easy to conquer. "Talk to me when you can replicate that feat above ground." Her tone is teasing, but a small smile forms on her lips.

Thalia gives her a small smile. "I'm glad you are okay."

A soft thud on the wooden floor catches both their attention. The pitter-patter of footsteps accompanies the pattern of more soft thuds.

Zoe's eyes widen as a blur of yellow over black tackles Thalia to the ground in a hug. She recognizes the light laughter before her mind comprehends the sight. "Shinobu!"

Said girl pulls up from her embrace and whips her head towards Zoe. Shinobu leaps up to stand and catches Zoe in a tight hug before the hunter can react.

"Easy there. I'm still recovering." Zoe ignores Thalia snort. She can feel the injuries if she focuses on her hand or her abdomen but not otherwise. At the back of her mind, the fact that Shinobu's tight hold on her didn't cause her any pain is surprising. It is almost as surprising as how light the exuberant girl's footsteps are.

The blond lets her go then returns to nuzzling up to Thalia.

Before Zoe make the comment comparing Shinobu to a cat, a large figure catches her eyes. "A giant!" She springs up to stand when a wave of nausea hits her and forces her down.

Thalia and Shinobu rise and stand next to her, eyes full of concern. Their lack of a reaction to the giant behind them reassures her, and she makes no second attempt to stand.

"I am guessing he is friendly then?" Her eyes remain on the giant searching for any signs of aggression or deception.

She tenses when she notices his own eyes roams the three of them. It's hard to ignore her instincts, but Zoe forces herself to relax. He is not leering or glaring at them but is instead searching them. Perhaps he is making sure they are not a threat. Whatever the case, there is no point in making an aggressive move if he isn't an enemy. Everything else in Tartarus is trying to kill them, including Tartarus itself. She will take any ally they can get even if he is a giant.

"Zoe?" Thalia's voice snaps her attention away from the giant.

"What?" From the corner of her eyes, she sees him turn away and walk out of the room.

Thalia opens her mouth but stops then shakes her head. "Yes. He's not an enemy."

Before she can reply, Shinobu speaks up. Both Zoe and Thalia raise a brow at her, and Shinobu stops mid-speech and gives a sheepish laugh.

"Is she okay?" Zoe points her thumb to Shinobu who pouts and turns away.

"I think so." They watch the girl sigh and give a small wave goodbye before leaving.

"Back on topic. The giant?"

"Damasen. From what I understand, Gaea and Tartarus created him as an anti-Ares to defeat the god of war. It sounds smarter on paper than in practice, and it's dumb on paper. I guess they didn't think that far ahead."

Zoe frowns. The name and story sound familiar to her, but she can't remember. "And?"

"I don't know much more. I've been awake for a few hours and most of that time I spent here."

Zoe hides another small smile. No doubt her new friends were busy taking care of her. "What happened while I was out?"

"He helped us with the giant snake's spoils, carried the two of us here to his home, and gave us some medicine. Damasen says he didn't give us ambrosia, but I doubt it. His medicine works too well to not have a drop of ambrosia in it."

"Some cures can surprise you," Zoe whispers in a wistful tone. She takes a deep breath to clear the mental haze she is experiencing. "What was it?"

"What was what?"

"The spoils. Anything useful?"

"Nope. It dropped lots of leather. Too much leather. The three of us wouldn't be able to carry half of it more than three feet before we gave in to exhaustion. I told him he can keep it if he wants it."

"We can cut it up and use it as material. It will be tough but it might be worth the effort."

"If you want to spend the time working on it, go right ahead."

"It dropped untanned leather?"

"Worse. There were still meat and blood stuck to it. A life and death battle and nothing to show for it."

She takes another deep breath, and her frown deepens when the mental haze does not disappear. Still, she keeps half her attention to the conversation. "Sometimes, the spoils one gets is far from ideal. Best not dwell on it."

"Yeah, but two worthless spoils in a row sucks."

"Two?"

"The glass balls the Arai dropped then the snakeskin."

She closes her eyes. Thalia is right. They fought Arai before the giant snake, but the memory of that encounter is a blur. Worse, she has trouble remembering anything before that without focusing.

Thalia frowns at her lack of response. "Are you okay?"

"When do we leave?" She does not want another round of that question.

"Damasen says we'll be up and running in three days, but I don't see why we can't get moving tomorrow."

"Tomorrow then."

Before Thalia can reply, the ground rumbles. "What?" The ground shakes a second time with much more force.

"Shinobu." Zoe rushes outside.

Thalia follows her, and they come to a stop at the sight before them. "You have got to be kidding me. Another snake?"

"No." Zoe's brows furrow at she fights through the haze in her mind. "Not a snake." Her eyes widen as the small memory becomes clear. "That is a Drakon."


	45. 1045: Curses

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Curses|-

* * *

Damasen towers almost five times taller than Shinobu. The giant, serpent-like creature's shadow eclipses them both.

"Drakon."

"Get back in the house. This is my curse, my fight." Damasen directs his words to Shinobu, but they bellow up to Thalia's ears. With their backs to Thalia and from so far away, she can glance Shinobu's smile but not much else. But she can imagine Damasen's frown and the rest of Shinobu's cheery expression. Even if Shinobu could understand, she doubts the small girl would follow Damasen's words.

Thalia's body tenses. Small aches in her body make themselves known, but she remains alert and ready. She is not in top shape, but it's more than what she had the last time she fought the giant snake. "Hey, Zoe. You got any ideas?" Thalia's eyes dart to Zoe.

To her surprise, Zoe's stance does not reflect her own. Instead of a warrior ready to spring into action, the hunter sways, weary. Her left hand lies limp by her side, and her right massages her temples.

Thalia spares her a worried glance then snaps her attention to the enemy. Shinobu moves first and sprints toward the snake. The air crackles as sparks fly between Thalia's fingertips as her eyes search the battle for an opening. A blur of green. The ground explodes. "Fast."

Thalia catches sight of Shinobu in her periphery. The blonde is also fast. The drakon sees Shinobu too and spits out dirt and rock then rears to strike. If she focuses on any of them, her eyes can track their movement without a problem. With her ADHD, her eyes shift from one combatant to another, and they become blurs.

Damasen catches the drakon by its neck, and Shinobu takes the opportunity and leaps high. "Whoa." Shinobu doesn't reach the top of the drakon's head, but her daggers dig into its cheek. If there was any doubt in Thalia's mind of Shinobu's divine lineage, it died with that jump. Professional athletes don't reach half that height.

The drakon shakes its head, but Damasen holds it tight, and Shinobu's daggers stay.

Her periphery alerts her Zoe's departure into the house.

A sudden shift of the ground halts Thalia, but not Zoe. Her attention returns to the battle when the small quake ends. Damasen struggles against the drakon's body coiled around him. With Damasen too busy to hold it down, the drakon's head thrashes in the air. Shinobu holds on to its skull with her daggers.

Thalia finds her opening when the drakon whips its head to the far right. In an instant, lightning flies from her fingertips into monster's eye. The drakon lets out a powerful roar in pain and anger. Before she completes her second attack, a streak of white and gold flies into the monster's mouth.

The drakon lets loose a thundering shriek and writhes in pain. With the coil around Damasen loose, he leaps and catches the drakon by its neck. The angle presents Thalia with a new target she fires a bolt to its remaining eye. She misses by half a foot when the monster jerks its head aside.

Shinobu kneels on the drakon's head with her left dagger driven in as a handhold. Her right dagger slams in and out of its skull in a feverish pace. The drakon gives one final shudder before it exhales golden dust and deflates like a balloon.

Thalia's attention shifts to the right to Zoe. A makeshift bow rests in Zoe's hand. "Zoe." Zoe's eyes remain forward. Thalia takes a quick glance. Damasen searches the drakon's remains and Shinobu wipes the blood from her face. Thalia gaze returns to Zoe. "What did you do?"

Thalia forces her attention to remain on Zoe. She makes an effort to ignore Damasen's grumblings and Shinobu's animated movements. Her eyes linger on the bags under Zoe's eyes before they trail down to the bow.

"Where did you get that, anyway?" Her first assumption was it was Damasen's. The build quality tells her otherwise. While staying in Damasen's abode, she noticed how most of it looked handcrafted. She has to admit, Damasen is a skilled craftsman. The bow in Zoe's hands, though functional, holds none of the quality of any of Damasen's work.

It takes a second for Zoe to turn her eyes to Thalia. Zoe's eyes drop to the bow in her hands. After another second she returns her sight to Thalia. "I made it."

Thalia rolls her eyes at the obvious answer. "From what?" It clicks in her mind when Zoe hesitates. "I hope you didn't break anything too precious to make that."

Zoe shrugs.

She waits for more, but after a second, it is clear Zoe didn't consider their usual banter worth the effort. "What did you shoot the drakon with?"

"Bone."

"And the gold part?"

"Orb."

Thalia raises a brow at Zoe before shaking her head. She is still recovering. Maybe Zoe was just tired. "A gold orb. The spoils from the Arai?"

Zoe blinks and turns her gaze down to her hands. The silence sends a tinge of worry through Thalia. Before she can act on it, Zoe responds. "Not enough strength. Plan B. Shatter the orb."

It made sense. A weak projectile wouldn't pierce the drakon's hide or deal enough damage. Though Thalia wonders if it was Zoe or the bow that doesn't have enough strength. Zoe's alternative was to shatter the orb against the monster. Shards in its throat would do less damage but serve as a better distraction. "So you didn't expect it to contain poison."

Another moment of silence, but before either of them can break it, Shinobu collides with Zoe. "Hey! Shinobu? What the heck!"

Thalia can't hold back the chuckle. Shinobu nuzzles Zoe's cheek like a hyperactive kitten.

"Get off! You are rubbing the blood all over my clothes!"

Thalia smiles. It seems Shinobu's antics has pulled Zoe out of her funk. She turns when a large shadow passes them. "Damasen."

The giant stops but doesn't turn to face her.

Thalia strains her head up. With his height and the short distance between them, she can't make out muck of his face or expression. She takes a breath. "Thank you." In some ways, she's ashamed that the simple words gratitude took effort on her part.

"There is no need." His voice bellows despite his whisper, but it was soft. "It is my curse." Sorrow and bitterness flow through his tone. "You shouldn't have..." Damasen pauses. "Thank you for your help." The words come out strained.

Thalia shakes her head. "You've also given us medical aid and a place to stay. Thank you."

Damasen opens his mouth to speak, stops, and then continues. "You're welcome."

As he turns to leave, Thalia speaks. "What's the curse?"

"What?"

"You said it was your curse. I noticed the drakon we fought today looks the same as the first we killed. Is that your curse?"

"Yes." More of that bitterness tinge his words. "Everyday, the drakon reforms and attacks." She thought that with his cherry-red skin, and rusty-red beard and hair he would look angry. Right now, she can't imagine his expression as anything other than blue.

"Do you..." Thalia hesitates and drops her gaze to the ground to her right. Her next question is rather grim, but her curiosity overtakes her. "Did you ever think of just ending it all?"

"I've already told you. The drakon reforms after each battle."

"No. I meant..." She takes a breath and brings her eyes to Damasen's face. When she sees his eyes, she turns her gaze back down and away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." She changes the subject to save herself from any more awkwardness. "Did the drakon leave good spoils? Last time we got nothing we could use. It'd be nice to have some good news for once."

"Unless you fancy some drakon meat for lunch, no."

"Oh." With nothing left to say, Thalia turns to leave.

"I'm a Giant."

She stops. "What?"

"I'm a Giant. A god and demigod working together will kill me. Nothing else will. I also heal quite fast. In a way, they are part of my curse. My fight with the drakon will never end."

She nods. "I'm sorry." Is she's saying she's sorry for his curse or she's sorry she asked something so personal? Both she decides. She turns to leave, and this time, Damasen doesn't stop her.

Instead, a sudden force slams into her, and she falls to the ground. Gold covers her vision, and laughter fills her ears. It doesn't surprise her that Shinobu has once again tackled her to the ground into a hug. Disappointment almost comes to her when the girl stands up and offers her a hand up.

She takes it pulls herself up then zaps Shinobu before she can let go. "That's what you get for-" Thalia's quip comes to an abrupt halt at the sight of Shinobu's hair. Thalia chortles.

The golden locks are long enough not to stand on end, but the charge has made them puffier. Shinobu's glare might have been intimidating if she was older. With her chubby cheeks and wide eyes, they come across as an adorable pout despite the specks of blood. Thalia's laughter doubles at the sight.

Shinobu's pout morphs into a wide grin. Thalia grabs Shinobu by the shoulder with a smile of her own. "Come on Blondie. I'm sure Damasen's got a comb inside his hut. If he doesn't, we'll have to make do with a finger comb." She turns her head to Zoe. "Are you coming?"

The hunter gives them a small smile but shakes her head. "I will stay out here for a while and get some air."

Thalia frowns. The poisonous air in Tartarus is far from what she'd call refreshing. "Sure. Just call if you need us, okay?"

Zoe waves her off. "I will be fine."

Shinobu expresses her own concern and gives Zoe a hug from behind.

Zoe turns in Shinobu's hug and pats her on the head. "I will be fine. I promise." She turns her gaze to Thalia. "Some time to myself will do me good." Zoe touches Shinobu's shoulders and pulls off the hug. With a last pat on the head, she turns and walks away.

"Come on, Shinobu." The blonde hesitates but walks back to Thalia. Thalia lays her arm over Shinobu's shoulder and leads her back to the hut.

Thalia gives one last glance to Zoe's retreating form. Her thoughts drift to River of Pain, the Arai, and her conversation with Damasen. Zoe might have the body of a teen, but she's lived longer than Rome has stood.

She remembers her own encounter with the River Acheron and its malevolent, mesmerizing voices. _It's your fault!_ She shudders the memory away. How much worse was it for Zoe? Zoe has killed many and has lost many.

She remembers the Arai. When an arai dies, they release their curse upon their killer. Zoe said Shinobu's immunity to their curse might come from her age. Too young for somebody to hate, to curse. What about Zoe? How many enemies has she made? How many curses made for her?

She remembers Damasen's words. _In a way, they are part of my curse_. Damasen, a giant forced to fight a drakon for eternity in Tartarus. Time with his curse has worn him down. He is hospitable and kind but broken, overcome with hopelessness.

Sometimes immortality is a curse.


	46. 1046: R & R

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|R &amp; R|-

* * *

The brown cloth rubs hard against Shinobu's skin and scrapes off the dried blood from her palm. The giant snake didn't injure her, but it left her a mess to clean. Blood wiped off the jacket with ease, but the blood spilled in up to her elbows. They've spent the better part of the hour removing dried blood from her arm.

"Ouch." Thalia pauses her work. Shinobu pouts but keeps her hand in place. When Thalia doesn't continue, the blonde turns her head away and pushes her hand closer to Thalia. Thalia's hesitance sends a small twinge of guilt to Shinobu.

Her body's pain tolerance is far lower than she'd like, but it's not that bad. She is being childish with her display, but she wants to be. Konoha would view her open display of pain here as weakness from a shinobi.

Shinobi don't numb themselves from pain. It would be foolish for them to be so. If anything, they'll train to have a much higher sensitivity to pain. In their line of work, a pinprick unnoticed can lead to death. The shinobi world trains them to be more sensitive to pain but teaches them to hide their pain.

A soft laugh escapes her. She never did excel in the academy.

Every wince, every twitch, and every small exclamation of pain go against that. They are her small acts of defiance.

In a fight, she understands the logic of hiding weakness from the enemy and maintaining a calm mind. This is not a fight, and Thalia is not her enemy. Thalia is her friend, and her friend is taking care of her. She is not the Hokage, a symbol of strength for her village and sometimes the world. Shinobu is Naruto, under a different name. The absolute adherence to the shinobi rules taught in the Academy to kill their emotions is folly. Danzō's Root exemplified that.

That said, perhaps she should tone down her expressiveness a little. She wants to be open to Thalia, not be a big baby in front of her. It's hard, though. She's fought and lived long enough as a shinobi that a sword to the stomach was but a minor inconvenience. How do civilians express, 'That hurts but not enough for you to worry over,' to each other?

Her dilemma comes to an end as Thalia rubs the last blood from her fingertips with the cloth. Red specks remain under her nails and around its sides. Thalia spends another minute scrubbing her nails to no avail. With a shared sigh, they both decide that's as good as its going to get until they can find water that won't kill them.

This place ranks top eight in her most disliked places. It might become top seven or six if they don't finish this mission soon.

Thalia gives Shinobu's hand one last check before she wrestles to unroll Shinobu's sleeve. Shinobu lets out a grateful sigh. The jacket is thick and rolling it up to her shoulders meant it coiled tight against her skin. It would have been easier to remove the jacket, but that would have left her topless.

Shinobu holds back a small chuckle on how weird people are. They choose the impractical option because they don't want to see a bit of skin. Her body is between twelve or thirteen and, unlike Hinata at this age, is as flat as a board, much to her dismay. She could crop her hair short, and she could convince everyone she's a boy. If she were a boy, no one would care.

If they did care, it wouldn't be enough for them to outright refuse the simpler option. She's seen boys at camp go without a shirt when they sneaked out to the beach or when their shirt got soaked. This is a new world, but it holds a surprising amount of similarities to her old one. The Elemental Nations was worse in some respects. Her Sexy Technique and its variants should not have worked as well as they did.

With Shinobu's sleeve fixed, Thalia turns her attention to Shinobu's blonde hair. Shinobu lets Thalia guide her off the bed and pull her to sit on Thalia's knees facing away from Thalia. The tips of Thalia's fingers press where her scalp meets her forehead and glides back. Two of them glide over her horns and send a small tingle at the base of her skull. They stroke her scalp and continue down her hair then they jump back from the top and repeats.

A soft hum escapes Thalia as she combs Shinobu's hair with her fingers. The tune is faint and almost inaudible despite Shinobu's trained hearing. Shinobu closes her eyes and resists the urge to lean back in relaxation. A soft tug tells her Thalia has hit a snag, but Thalia sorts through her tangles without pain.

Her lips spread into a small smile. She didn't expect Thalia to be so skilled with hair care. The language barrier makes it pointless for Shinobu to make a joke at Thalia's expense. "I didn't think you could be so girlish." She gives the jab anyway but frowns after. It lacks punch.

Thalia's hum fades. Not one to prefer silence, Shinobu creates her own melody. She whispers nonsense words to a simple rhythm.

For the briefest of moments, nothing else exists. They are two girls being girls. The weight of their impossible mission lifts from their shoulders. The hellish landscape outside fades from their thoughts. They are friends being friends.

A creak snaps them back to reality. Zoe closes the door behind her and walks towards the bed. Without sparing either of them a glance, Zoe drops to the bed and lays behind Thalia. Shinobu turns to Thalia, and Thalia shrugs.

Shinobu gets off of Thalia's knees and walks towards the door. Thalia moves to follow her when a yawn escapes Thalia. Their eyes dart to Zoe, and Thalia lets out another yawn. Thalia returns to the bed, but Shinobu shakes her head. When Thalia stands, Shinobu pushes her back down, and Thalia nods.

It didn't feel like a whole day has passed for Shinobu, but it's hard to tell. The sun doesn't rise or fall in this place, and all sense of time skews.

Shinobu leaves the room and takes her weapons then leaves the hut.

Something was off with the giant's home. Inside, most materials seem to be bone or leather, but there is plenty of wood, metal, and cloth as well. It's easy to guess where the bone and leather comes from, but the other materials are more dubious. The swamp around the hut and farm couldn't have provided the giant with enough resources for all he owns.

Among the strangest anomalies is the bed Thalia and Zoe are lying in. Aside from the question of why the giant needs two beds in the first place, there is the question of why it is so small. It can fit three to four people but would be uncomfortable for the giant's proportions.

Shinobu puts those thoughts aside. There is no point in pondering on them. They aren't important information, and she can't uncover them if she can't ask questions.

She sets her mind to analyze more practical matters. Shinobu pulls out a large dagger and a small dagger. She doesn't share Tenten's love of weapons, but she won't deny the childish glee that sprouts in her. The daggers have an incredible cutting power without any need for chakra enhancements. They glide through tough hide and solid bone without resistance.

Though they are not without faults. The large pair's blade length are less than standard Konoha kunai. The remaining eighteen are a third of that. When it comes to combat, size does matter. A shorter blade meant a shorter reach in melee combat. Their shape further compounds the issue. They curve and have their edge on the inside which makes them awkward to hold and awkward to throw. The curves of the smaller daggers are more pronounced than the larger pair.

If they didn't cut so well and didn't return to her after five seconds, she'd have discarded them as garbage.

The main positive of their blades on inside curve is that they don't cut through their holsters.

She thinks back to her swords. They were longer than a katana despite adjusting them for her current smaller body. She estimates she'd need her future blades to be one and a half times a katana's length when she becomes an adult.

She'll have to get a new pair to complement her dagger's reach disadvantage.

Her sight jumps to the remains of the giant snake. Most of it turned to gold dust upon its death, but there should be enough for her to work with. Her gaze drops to the two blades in her hands, both sharp enough to cut through bone.


	47. 1047: Departure

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Departure|-

* * *

A light snore behind Zoe draws her from slumber. She resists the urge stay in bed, and she pushes herself up to sit. The thick coat she wears makes the prospect less appealing.

Her brows furrow. Yesterday is a haze. Most of the last month is a haze. Bits and pieces remain sharp, but the rest blurs at the edge of her consciousness. They are like words stuck at the tip of her tongue, so close yet beyond her mental grasp.

Scarlet eyes flash in her mind's eye and snap her from her memories. With a shaky breath, she reaches inward. Brilliant red irises with a tinge of orange surround pure black slits. The image is vivid and sharp, yet the memory around it escapes her.

Frustration builds in her chest. Her fingers press against her temple. She remembers pieces of her dream, her recurring nightmare. The blood, the pain, and death she remembers but not the rest. "What is wrong with me?"

A wooden creak alerts her to the wooden door opening behind her. The bed shifts as Thalia shuffles awake. Zoe tenses. Her hand jumps to her nonexistent daggers on instinct at the sight before her. She relaxes just as Thalia rubs the last remnants of sleep from her eyes. Thalia leaps off the bed with a scream but catches on her own oversized coat and falls with a yelp.

Zoe holds back her snickers at Thalia's accident. The figure before them has no such restraint and doubles over in laughter. "Shinobu." Zoe moves over to Thalia's said of the bed and offers Thalia a hand. She cannot blame Thalia for her reaction. If not for Shinobu's cheery wave and her voice, Shinobu would make for an intimidating visage.

A white, plain mask covers Shinobu's face from nose to chin. The straps are not under the jacket but over. More white peaks between the jacket's open front. The breastplate hints at more armor underneath. As a whole, the changes are subtle but effective.

The face mask and the shadow her hood creates hides Shinobu's delicate features. Her oversized jacket no longer makes her appear smaller and more fragile. The straps being over the jacket and the armor underneath makes the jacket hangs less loose. Armor on her shoulder under the jacket gives her profile broader, less effeminate shoulders. The straps as the outermost layer also mean the jacket does not hide her weapons. Zoe makes note of one of the large daggers missing from the strap.

While the image does not match Shinobu's bubbly personality, it is far from misrepresentative. Shinobu is a cheerful, young girl with a laugh that could brighten even the darkest pits of Tartarus. But Shinobu is also a warrior who slew through skeletal warriors, a swarm of arai, and drakons.

And speaking of monsters. She turns to Thalia who returns to sit on the bed beside her. "I apologize."

"What?"

"Back with the arai." Zoe sends an apologetic smile to a pouting Shinobu. It must suck to realize this conversation will exclude her.

"Don't be. You were right. Us killing the arai and getting cursed would've been disastrous."

Zoe returns her eyes to Thalia and shakes her head. "I will not apologize for telling you to avoid killing the arai. I stand by my decision. We could not afford to become dead weight for Shinobu to carry through Tartarus." Shinobu's perks up upon hearing her name.

"Then what?"

Zoe forces her attention to remain on Thalia. "I am apologizing for my demeanor." It is weird having Shinobu in the room unable to take part in their conversion. "I did not act in a manner fitting of a hunter, much less as Artemis' lieutenant." The blonde does not hide her interest in their conversation despite not being able to partake in it.

"You're apologizing for not acting like a badass?" Thalia's eyes shift to Shinobu before returning to Zoe.

"Morale is as much a resource in battle as any other."

Thalia rolls her eyes.

"A leader must always present a confident front."

Thalia reaches out to Shinobu and pulls her to sit on her lap.

"A leader is a beacon strength to her subordinates." Zoe raises a brow at Thalia but continues her speech without missing a beat. "I failed in that regard." Perhaps this is Thalia's attempt to end the awkwardness.

"Who made you the leader?" Thalia pulls down Shinobu's hood and runs her hand over the blonde's hair but keeps her eyes on Zoe.

Zoe speaks her next words in a haughty tone, half in jest. "It is simple logic. I am the eldest and most experienced of our group." She fails in keeping a straight face at Thalia's glare, but she succeeds in holding back a giggle.

"You would think all that experience would make you better at saying sorry."

"I have not had to apologize often, and Shinobu's not a cat."

Heat rises to Thalia's cheeks. She turns away from Zoe's amused smile, but Thalia does not stop her ministrations. "If she finds it uncomfortable, she'll leave."

Zoe grunts in acquiescence. If Shinobu disliked Thalia's actions, she'd stop them. Neither of them could force Shinobu to do anything she didn't want to do. Shinobu is less a cat and more a tiger. "Still."

"It's nice." As if to agree, Shinobu pulls closer to Thalia, and Thalia's smile grows. "I can't explain it. Maybe I'm being silly, but it's nice."

Zoe watches as Thalia pulls the rest of Shinobu's hair from under the jacket. Thalia's full but soft smile contrasts with the tough, rebellious demeanor from her memories. Yet the image before her is not uncanny or out of place.

"What are you doing?" The serenity dies when Thalia notices Shinobu busy making weird gestures with her hands. Thalia lifts and turns Shinobu ninety degrees, so she sat facing left off instead of away from Thalia. When the blonde continues uninterrupted, Thalia pulls apart Shinobu's intertwined fingers.

Shinobu sends Thalia a quick glare but then sticks her tongue out instead. The quick changes amuse Zoe. Shinobu's glare has proven ineffectual in the past. It seems her new strategy replaces intimidation with childishness.

"You brat!"

Shinobu's brow rises and her lips curl at Thalia's indignation. Zoe chuckles at Thalia's failure to notice Shinobu's amusement. Her chuckles become laughter when Thalia retaliates by grinding her knuckles on her head. Shinobu's smile grows despite the pain much to Thalia's ire.

"Yowch!" Thalia's hand flies away when Shinobu's horns give her hand a light scratch. "And you!" Thalia turns her attention to Zoe. "Stop that. How am I supposed to drill respect from this brat with you laughing your ass off?"

"Thine attempts to instill dominance as an elder sister is for naught." Zoe gives herself a mental slap though Thalia is too busy to register her slip of her tongue. "She wants you to react." She makes a note to practice her English back with the hunters. "And a lesson in discipline and respect is hypocritical coming from you."

Heavy footsteps interrupt Thalia retort. They turn and see Damasen by the door with a bundle of cloth in his arms. Shinobu gives the giant a thumbs up then returns to her weird hand signs.

Damasen glances at Shinobu and Thalia then to Zoe before walking towards her. Before she can stand, he thrusts the bundle to her. "These are for you and the daughter of Zeus."

Zoe's arms almost don't reach forward in time to catch the heap Damasen drops on her. She grunts at the sudden weight. "What is this?"

"A bag. Sheepskin. Your armors are inside."

"Armor?"

Damasen tilts his head toward Shinobu. "Same as hers." He frowns. "I suppose she hasn't shown it off to you yet."

"No, but I can make a few guesses: a breastplate, pauldrons, and a face mask."

Damasen nods. "There are also helmets, forearm guards, shin guards, and a buckler for you. A large shield is preferable but there wasn't enough material."

Zoe opens up the simple bag and sees they are the same white material of Shinobu's mask and breastplate. She raises a brow as she realizes what the material is. "Bone?"

Another nod. "They aren't as good as her metal forearm guards and greaves, but they're better than no armor at all." He turns to Shinobu, hands her her dagger, then points his thumb at the door. Shinobu leaps from Thalia and runs out the door. Thalia chases after her.

Zoe raises a brow at Damasen.

"I've finished with the swords." Damasen's brow furrows. "Though hers are more like spears with quillons. I couldn't get the edges sharp enough without making them too thin and fragile. Yours focuses on cutting instead of thrusting so it was much easier to make."

Shinobu returns with two thin, long rods by her sides and leaps to Damasen, enveloping his arm in a hug. Thalia comes in and shakes her head at the scene before walking towards Zoe. She hands Zoe a white, double-edged, one-handed short sword.

Zoe marvels at the bone xiphos and gives it an experimental swing. She turns to Damasen who is busy trying to peel off the blonde for his arm. "Damasen." She catches his gaze. "Thank you."

The giant gives up on the impossible task of removing Shinobu. "Don't thank me." He points to the girl attached to his arm. "Thank her. Without her, I might have been able to craft a sword or two at most. The drakon didn't leave me much to work with. I don't have the tools to dig through the corpse fast enough to get the right parts."

Zoe glances upward in thought then slams her fist down her palm in realization. "Her daggers."

"I'd credit her skill with the blade as well. She works fast and didn't get a drop of blood on her."

"Good," says Thalia. "I'd kill her if she undid all the work I did to clean her up."

Zoe holds Damasen's gaze and nods to the bag. "I doubt the drakon left you sheepskin."

Damasen waves her off. "She halved the effort and time I will need to work on the drakon. Consider that as compensation for her efforts. Like I said, credit her skill with the blade. If she was less competent, there wouldn't have been a quarter of usable material to work with."

Shinobu drops from Damsen's arm then bows and shouts. Zoe cannot understand blonde's enthusiastic words, but she can guess her intent.

Thalia chuckles. "It seems she disagrees. Just accept the thanks already."

"Fine. You're welcome." Damasen grumbles to himself. "Stubborn kids." He leaves before they can reply.

Thalia and Zoe turn to each other and roll their eyes at the stubborn giant. They turn to Shinobu and find her leaning forward towards them with her hands on her knees. Her wide eyes and huge grin make her excitement clear.

Thalia snorts in amusement. "I guess she wants us to open our presents. Might as well." She takes the bag from Zoe's hands and opens them. She pulls out the helmet first. "Looks like a hard hat."

Zoe grabs the helmet and inspects it. "It is thicker than the plastic or metal counterpart." It makes sense. Too thin and the skull cap will shatter on impact. The bone will chip, but Damasen is right. Bone armor is better than no armor.

Thalia pulls out a breastplate. "Why didn't we start out with armor again?"

Zoe shakes her head. "A quest is not a war. Armor adds weight, and it will not protect you from everything. Two examples: Giants will smash through them, and the Nemean lion will cut through it like paper. Unless you plan to sleep in your armor, it is a hassle to put on and off each day." She grimaces at the idea of sleeping in armor. The coat they wear is far less rigid than armor, and it is far from comfortable to sleep in.

Thalia holds the breastplate against her chest and twists her head over to peer over her shoulder. "Yeah, I can't strap this on or off without help." Shinobu appears in front of Thalia. She opens Thalia's coat to get the breastplate under and reaches under the coat to strap the plate in. "I change my question. Why are we bothering with this? It seems more hassle than it's worth."

"If all goes well, this will be our last day in Tartarus so this will be the one time we will deal with putting it on. Besides, we do not have to worry about the main reason demigods do not quest in armor."

"There is a bigger reason not to wear armor?"

Zoe nods. "Humans. While demigods deal with the supernatural, they also deal with the human world. Armor is impractical in the city. The mist will not always hide it." Memories of mortals staring at her for holding a bow in public spring to mind. "You do not want to worry about the authorities on top of worrying about monsters and your quest. And again, it is a hassle."

Thalia turns to Zoe. "It being a hassle is high on the list? I would think life or death would make that a small complaint."

"ADHD."

"Ah."

Zoe takes a breastplate from Thalia and straps it on herself under the coat.

Thalia lets Shinobu help her with the forearm guards but regards Zoe from the corner of her eye. "Wow, you're flexible."

Zoe smiles as she continues to fiddle with the strap on her back. "Thanks."

Thalia starts with her left greave as Shinobu fastens her right.

Zoe notices Shinobu wearing sandals with leather straps and bone soles. It reminds her of Shinobu sitting down and showing Zoe her bloodied feet. Shinobu showed her how fast she could heal minor scratches. It is another mystery of the enigmatic blonde to add to the list.

She wonders if their assessment of Shinobu as a legacy is accurate. The powers of legacies are usually diminished through each generation. If Shinobu is a legacy, she cannot be more than three generations away from her divine ancestor.

Zoe reconsiders her current line of thought. While it is possible that Shinobu is a demigod, there is more evidence to the contrary.

Shinobu showed a slight difficulty in healing her scratches. Such a minor injury would not phase a child of Apollo. She remembers a daughter of Poseidon ignoring light cuts as the moisture in the air was enough to heal them. It was misty air near a beach, but the point stands.

The most drastic ability Shinobu has shown, retold to her by the hunters, is turning a small area into a swamp.

Zoe's eyes dart back to Shinobu's feet.

Shinobu's feet had turned to stone afterward. The most reasonable conclusion is a sacrifice. It is not unheard of for a god's aid to come at a cost. If Shinobu required divine intervention, then the feat becomes less impressive in hindsight. It is much less fantastical if it required a temporary sacrifice.

"I forgive you." Thalia's words snap her from her musings, but they confuse her. Zoe's confusion must have shown on her face. "That fight with the arai. It came after our encounter with the River Acheron. If not for Shinobu getting through to me, I wouldn't have been able to move much less fly. From what I understand, it must have been a thousand times worse for you."

Zoe is unable to find a reply to Thalia sudden comment.

Thalia gives her a small smile. "Immortality is a curse."

Zoe grimaces. Immortality is the gift given to her by Artemis. A part of her wants to berate Thalia for the implied insult to her goddess. But she understands that is not Thalia's intention or meaning.

They finish putting on their armor in silence. They face each other in understanding. There is nothing left to do here. It is time they left.

As they transfer food from their old bag to their new one, a sudden thought strikes Zoe. "Hey, Thalia."

"Hmm?"

Immortal curses. "These golden orbs," she says as she holds one up to Thalia, "they are the spoils from the arai, correct?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know where Damasen went?" She returns the golden orbs to the old backpack.

"No. If I have to guess, he's out back tending to his farm. What's this about?"

"I want to have a word with him before we leave."

It doesn't take them long to find the giant.

"You girls are heading out already?"

"We need to finish this as soon as possible."

Zoe nods at Thalia reply. "Before that, I have an offer for you."

Both Thalia and Damasen raise their brow at Zoe. Shinobu for her part keeps herself busy finding different ways to intertwine her fingers.

"An end to your curse."

The giant scoffs at Zoe's words.

Zoe continues before he can speak. "The orbs. I have figured out what they are." She drops their old backpack in front of her and opens it, presenting the golden orbs to Damasen. "They are curses. The arai could not curse Shinobu as she slew them, so they dropped their curses upon death."

"Say what you say is true. How does their curse cure mine?"

Zoe kneels and reaches in the bag. Her hands search from one orb to another. "Drakons are hard to kill, harder to disable and keep alive." She picks one orb and raises it for the to see. "The arai's curses bypass that hardiness without resistance. Curses can cripple a creature for eternity. Enough that it can pose no threat to you or your farm."

Both Damasen's eyebrows lift, and his eyes become more alert. Zoe can almost see the cogs turning his head, his mind racing with possibilities. If the drakon does not die, it does not resurrect. His burden forever crippled. Then his lips turn down and his eyes narrow. "You called this an offer. What are your terms? What do want me to give you in return?"

"I do not want you to give me anything. I want you to accept something from me." Zoe returns the orb back in the bag and closes the bag. "Call it a quest if you will."

Damsen's lips curl up in amusement. "A child gives a quest to a Titan."

"Quest, mission, errand, chore. Call it whatever you wish."

Damasen straightens. His eyes peer down on her. "Tell me. What this 'quest' entails." His voice bellows deep. Thalia's fingers twitch, ready to grab her mace and summon her spear.

"Your quest-"


	48. 1048: Sacrifices

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Sacrifices|-

* * *

"There is no guarantee these curses will work," says Damasen.

Thalia cuts in before Zoe can reply. "The curses will at least do something. There's no guarantee we'll get anything out of this."

Damasen frowns. "I will keep my end of the bargain."

Thalia scoffs. "It's not you I don't trust."

Zoe shakes her head. "Thalia."

"Whatever." Thalia waves her off. "Let's go and get this over with."

Damasen takes a deep breath and sighs. "Thank you. Life in Tartarus will be easier without Drakon."

Thalia raises a brow. "If this does get the Drakon off your hair, why not leave?"

"I'm not sure it is the Drakon that keeps me here. No matter how far I walk, I remain in the swamp. Although, Tartarus has been strange as of late."

Zoe perks up at that. "What do you mean?"

"Some days the swamp seems larger, others smaller. My last few battles with the drakon were easier, but at the same time left poor spoils."

A sudden thought strikes Thalia. "If the curses work, and you don't kill the drakon, you won't be able to get any more spoils from it."

Damasen shakes his head. "It's a small price to pay. I'll make do with my farm. I have an eternity to find alternatives."

Thalia grimaces at the thought of spending an eternity in Tartarus. Her gaze drifts to Zoe and the golden orbs in the bag. "I guess since we're throwing around crazy ideas, I might as well toss another one in." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small black pill.

Zoe jabs her with a finger. "Are you crazy?"

"I don't need it."

"That is your escape route."

"I won't fail."

"What?"

"If I take this, that means we'd be leaving Gleeson and Phoebe behind. I won't fail."

"So you choose death upon failure?"

Damasen clears his throat. "Excuse me. Would someone care to fill me in?"

Thalia picks the pill from her palm and raises it to Damasen. "It's an anti-pomegranate."

Zoe's face scrunches up, and she pinches the bridge of her nose. "Thalia, that is a poor name for it."

"What?" Thalia palms the pill and crosses her arms. "It works doesn't it? Pomegranates send people down to the Underworld, and this sends people up to the land of the living."

"First of all, it is not eating pomegranates that force people into the Underworld. Whoever consumes food or drink in the Underworld must spend eternity in the Underworld."

"I know that. I was being concise."

Zoe continues as if Thalia had not spoken. "Second, it is not an 'anti-pomegranate' as it does not do the opposite of a pomegranate. The living world is not the direct opposite of the Underworld. There are many other realms to consider."

Damasen interrupts before they devolve into an argument. "So what are you proposing?"

Zoe speaks before Thalia can. "Suicide."

Thalia turns from Zoe and towards Damasen. "She offered you freedom from the drakon." Thalia extends her hand and opens her palm, presenting the pill to Damasen. "I offer you freedom from Tartarus."

Damasen's eyes narrow. "What do you want in exchange?"

"I want you to go all in on Zoe's quest."

Zoe grabs Thalia's shoulder and forces her to face Zoe. "That is unnecessary. A few trinkets on top of the effort he has to put into this already plenty."

Thalia swats Zoe's hand on her shoulder aside."What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Will you use yours? You've said so yourself. This quest goes beyond us and our friends."

Zoe's gaze falters.

Thalia turns back to Damasen. "Do we have a deal?"

Damasen's eyes dart to Zoe and then the pill. "I refu-" He takes a deep breath. "I'll give you a chance to reconsider."

Zoe gives Damasen a glare.

His eyes drift to the ground. "I wish I was noble enough to refuse what could end up being your death sentence. The chance to escape an eternity of torment is too tempting to refuse. You are still a child, with so much more to live for. Please give more thought to what you are surrendering."

Thalia shakes her head. "You can escape your curse. I can't escape my prophecy." Her eyes turn to the pill. "This won't do me any good so you might as well have it."

Damasen gives her a slow nod and plucks the pill from her hand. "I'm sorry."

* * *

-|Middle|-

* * *

It's strange.

After the heavy talk, they should have stayed with them longer than five minutes. Instead, a silly, childish jealousy takes Thalia. She can't help it.

Shinobu looks so badass in her current outfit.

Silver daggers and white swords contrast well with the black jacket. The straps make the jacket hug her form without hindering her movements. It makes it much easier to notice the grace by which Shinobu moves.

Unlike Thalia and Zoe who trudge through the mud, Shinobu leaps from tree to tree with ease. Shinobu doesn't share the dainty grace of a daughter of Aphrodite. Instead, her movements flow like a raging river, dangerous and powerful.

Thalia turns her gaze to herself. Not as cool.

The fluffy, oversized coats she and Zoe are wearing don't lend themselves well to intimidation. Their more impressive armor underneath lay hidden underneath the fur coats.

It's a shame because Damasen crafted the armor well. The breastplate curves outwards and away from her body to provide protection. Should a blade or claw pierce the plate, the gap will keep the pointy bits from her flesh. It isn't tall and ends at the natural waist, above the belly button. This allows her to bend forward, backward, and side to side without restrictions.

The bone armor is light. She has a suspicion that it might be tougher than regular bone, but it is still bone. Where metal bends, bone will chip, but durability is not much of an issue. They don't need the armor to last more than this quest.

"This is not right." Zoe's words interrupt Thalia's thoughts.

"What?"

"The map is wrong. There should be a river here."

Thalia takes a moment to take in their surroundings. They are at the edge of the swap. "Maybe it's hidden in shadow." The darkness in Tartarus has proven to be unnatural and acts as another hindrance.

"Daedalus' maps warn us to avoid the Keeper of the Death Mist so I navigated us towards the river."

"Isn't the river deadly?" Everything in Tartarus seems to be deadly.

"I hoped you could fly us above it."

Thalia represses a grimace. Zoe's earlier words ring true. One flight is not enough to remove her fear of heights. "Damasen did tell us Tartarus has been strange as of late."

Zoe nods. "It is not much of a swamp. As bad as the foot of mud we pushed through, it should have been worse. The trees are too spread apart. In most swaps I have been through, the foliage is as much an obstacle as the waters."

"I'll take what little luck we can get."

"I am not sure we can call this luck. Remember the Acheron overflowing and mixing with the Phlegethon?"

Thalia squirms at the memory. "I prefer not to." The mere thought of that encounter sends shivers down her spine.

Zoe winces. "Me neither. Let us head out and see what we need to deal with."

They leave the tree line, and Thalia jumps when Shinobu lands beside her. "Don't do that!"

Shinobu gives her a sheepish chuckle.

They continue until they see a cliff. Both Zoe and Shinobu drop down on their knees and crawl forward. Thalia takes their lead. Best avoid detection.

When they reach the cliff edge, they peer down. Below them is a maze of rocks.

Thalia represses a gulp turns to Zoe. "Should I fly us down?" The cliff isn't too high up, and a slow glide down is nothing compared to a long flight across.

Zoe shakes her head. "We will go the long way around. If we are lucky, we can move in without waking them."

"Excuse me?"

Zoe points to her ears. "The hellhounds are snoring."

Thalia's eyes widen.

They have reached their destination. Time to find their friends.

"I got a bad feeling about this."


	49. 1049: In Shadows

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|In Shadows|-

* * *

A maze of large boulders towers around them. Shadows shroud the already dark land and obscure the obstacle course of smaller boulders. Tiny stones littering the terrain make the trek more difficult.

The faint snoring in the background troubles Shinobu. They are the obvious reason Zoe chose a heavy emphasis on stealth. Shinobu can tell there are more than a dozen snorers, but she can't make out any more information. The boulders echo and distort the sound. If she went with sound alone, she'd swear Thalia and Zoe are behind her instead of in front of her.

There might be twenty sleepers or a thousand. She must also consider the possibilities that not all the sleepers snore and not all are asleep. They are more likely fact than possibilities, but some optimism couldn't hurt.

Stealth is not Shinobu's strong suit. She prefers the direct approach with misdirection thrown in if needed. Five minutes in and Zoe proves herself better than Shinobu in some aspects of the art. Zoe's careful movements ensure her clothing shifts little. Her footsteps stay light despite her body contorting to stay in shadows. She would be silent to Shinobu if not for her trained ears.

Shinobu softens the blow to her pride by telling herself her lack of chakra hampers her. What little solace she takes from the thought dies with the imaginary Iruka's reprimand. She shouldn't be too reliant on chakra techniques for her stealth in the first place. Beyond her pride as a ninja, her pride as a prankster suffers from this inadequacy.

Where was the child that painted the Hokage monument in broad daylight? Where was the genin that sneaked out the Scroll of Seals from under the Hokage's nose? She has gotten soft.

Shinobu's eyes pass over Thalia and lock on Zoe's form, and a small smile creeps on her lips. She might as well take this opportunity to train. Zoe's methods aren't too different from the basic taught in the academy. She wishes the fur coat didn't obscure the nuances to Zoe's technique.

Shinobu returns her attention to her other task, covering their trail. She prefers sweeping over footprints with a leafy branch, but that isn't an option. The whole area is devoid of greenery. Her hand isn't a great alternative, but it's better than nothing. She ignores the little voice in the back of her mind telling her how much easier this would be with chakra. It's pointless to keep lingering on what she can't do. She hopes that little voice will fade to nothingness over time.

As she finishes removing Thalia's boot print, her eyes land on a fiber on a rock. Her eyes widen as another floats through the air in front of her. It takes her second to recognize them.

With care, she overtakes Thalia and taps Zoe's shoulder. Both Thalia and Zoe face her with raised brows. She raises the two strands and points to both of them. Both furrow their brows in confusion. After a second, Zoe's eyes widen. Without a word, Zoe pulls on the fur of her coat. A small clump parts with the coat. Thalia stiffens in realization. The fur is falling off.

More than ever, she wishes Daedalus' written Japanese wasn't garbage. She has no idea how the coat protects them from Tartarus' ill effects. More than that, she'd like to know what this situation's significance is.

The river of fire burning away the fur in her coat doesn't have any effect. Yet, she has to keep her hood up as having it down makes the air less tolerable. What does the loss of fur mean to Zoe's and Thalia's protection? She hopes it is nothing, but the grim expressions of her companions tell her none of this is welcome news.

Zoe shakes her head and turns forward. They continue their journey with caution but with a layer of urgency underneath. Their pace doubles though Shinobu takes Zoe's lead and takes utmost care to remain silent.

She doesn't bother returning to the back as covering their tracks has become impossible. More and more of the coat's fur flies along with their path.

The situation reminds her of the mission to retrieve Sasuke. Kiba and Akamaru took the lead as trackers. Shikamaru followed behind Kiba so he could provide orders as the situation calls for it. Shikamaru placed her in middle thanks to her shadow clones. Chōji followed behind her as the slow but powerful muscle. Neji took the rear so he could watch their backs.

In a similar vein, Zoe takes the lead as the tracker and the leader. With silence a priority, Zoe needs to be in view when she gives nonverbal commands. Shinobu remains in the middle. Though she can no longer spam her shadow clones, she is the best fighter among the three. They need her to react to threats the fastest. Thalia took the rear as the main powerhouse of the trio. Her stronger attacks cover a large area and deal devastating damage but take time to charge. She wishes they also have someone who has eyes at the back of their heads, but they'll have to make do without one.

The soft scratching behind them drowns out Shinobu's thoughts. Thalia's short slip is faint, but it rings loud in Shinobu's ears in the silence. Her earlier self-criticisms on her own stealth become insignificant in comparison. Shinobu holds back a chuckle when Zoe glares at Thalia. No doubt, if silence wasn't a necessity, Zoe would have given Thalia an earful instead.

Shinobu lays a hand on Zoe's shoulder and urges her forward. With Zoe's focus back on the mission, Shinobu turns to Thalia. She gives Thalia a silent pat on the shoulder then a thumbs up. Best not dwell on small mistakes. If Thalia wishes, she can work on her stealth when they have more downtime. Until then, they'll have to make do with the skills they have.

Her eyes shift to Zoe and to Thalia. She stops and turns her body to Thalia. Thalia raises a brow at her. Shinobu points to Thalia's feet then her own foot. Her eyes stay with Thalia as she turns around. She points to her right foot then Thalia's and exaggerates her next step forward.

Her index finger points to her left heel then slides towards her toe. Another exaggerated step, and she waits for Thalia to try. Thalia gives her a short nod and makes her own attempt. Shinobu smiles as Thalia steps forward heel first.

She can't explain the subtle aspects to Thalia even if she could speak the same language. A whisper would be too loud. But simple information will help.

Thalia and Shinobu take for more steps before Shinobu stops Thalia. Shinobu points to the ground then makes an 'X' with her arms and shakes her head. She points to a small patch that isn't littered with small stones. An exaggerated step on that patch leaves her footprint on the soft soil.

Shinobu grimaces at the mark but leaves it be. The point is to show Thalia it is better to step on soft dirt than loose rock. If the rocks grind against each other, they will make noise. Worse, they can't afford for any of them to make a huge slip and fall. She doubts Thalia would, but it's best to err on the side of caution. A quick glance at Zoe tells her she too opts for a wider margin of error. Zoe chooses soft soil and the larger, more stable rocks.

They continue forward for another twelve steps before Shinobu gives Thalia a thumbs up. She is confident that Thalia has picked up and is applying the few basics Shinobu could teach. She returns her focus to Zoe.

The boulders around them act as high walls, but they lay about the area in a random arrangement. As such, there are many branching paths and many intersecting paths. In that respect, it felt akin to navigating less a maze and more a forest.

Despite this, it is clear Zoe moves with purpose and intent. The more they move the more Shinobu notices the clues Zoe is tracking. Every once in a while, they encounter an upturned rock.

The boulders' and the rocks' placements are unnatural, but they've stayed here for a long time. Surfaces have eroded over time, and the rocks have settled into the soil. A stone that's someone has moved will leave a hole of where it was. The undersides are also more jagged. An upturned rock is a basic sign, but one that's easy to miss in the darkness and the clutter. Less often, Shinobu spots scuffs on the rock faces.

Then, she sees blood, small specks on stone. Zoe catches sight of the blood but keeps pace. Any faster and they'd abandon their stealth.

Shinobu unsheathes one of her bone swords. Zoe draws her own bone sword. Thalia brings out her mace but doesn't expand into its spear form.

After three right turns, they stop in their tracks. Before them is a corpse.


	50. 1050: Breathless

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Breathless|-

* * *

"It's not Gleeson."

Thalia sighs in relief at Zoe's words. "That's good." She stays beside Shinobu and doesn't come closer to confirm the news. Their whole ordeal in Tartarus has gone sour from the get-go. She'll take whatever reprieve she can get from its horrors.

Zoe doesn't reply, but the grimace on her face makes Thalia uncomfortable.

"I mean it's bad that someone died." It doesn't make her a bad person to be thankful that it was a stranger rather than a friend, right? Her eyes dart between Zoe and Shinobu as if waiting for them to say no, it doesn't make her a bad person.

"It is not Gleeson."

"Hey. I get you're not fond of guys, but-"

"Thalia."

Dread creeps into Thalia's gut. Her left hand reaches for Shinobu's, a tether to hold her ground.

Zoe points to the corpse. "It is a satyr. We have another satyr down here."

Thalia's chest tightens with every word, and her hand clenches around Shinobu's.

"One is an accident."

"Two can be a coincidence!" She doesn't understand her own outburst.

"There are signs here of two others. Both satyrs."

Thalia's eyes dart around the small clearing in the forest of rocks. They glimpse hoof prints. She guesses they differ from each other.

"They didn't take your satyr friend by accident."

Realization dawns on her in full. "They didn't take Gleeson by accident." Her grip on Shinobu's hand slackens, and her body goes limp. Her knees wobble, but she remains upright. When Gleeson and Phoebe were first taken, Thalia blamed herself. Was self-centered of her to think so? It made sense to her. Hades wanted her dead, they got caught in the crossfire. This news goes against that belief. "They were targeting satyrs. But that means..."

"They might not have taken Phoebe by accident either." Zoe clenches her fist and turns her head away from Thalia. "They might be taking Hunters too."

"The hellhounds could be after demigods. They were after me too."

Zoe chuckles. "What makes you so sure Phoebe was a demigod and not a mortal or a nymph? She is older than me and was with the Hunters when Orion came."

Thalia raises a brow. "How is this relevant?"

"The hellhounds were after you because Hades sent them after you."

"But he didn't send them after the satyrs and Hunters."

"Hades would never be this brazen."

"Because of Artemis."

"Yes." Zoe's face scrunches up as if she tasted a lemon. "Apollo too. Perhaps more so."

"I'm surprised you'd give him praise."

Zoe shakes her head. "His temper and recklessness make him dangerous to his enemies and his allies. Apollo killed all seven of Niobe's sons after she insulted Leto, his mother. He asked Hades to torture Tityos for eternity for harassing his mother. If Artemis and Hades come to conflict, Apollo will involve himself."

"So he's protective of his family." Thalia saw little problem with that. She'd fry anyone who came after hers.

"Both of you are hot-headed idiots. There is a reason Zeus decreed war between gods forbidden. No doubt his son would disregard such sensibility and make the situation worse."

Thalia bites her lip. "Hades isn't stupid enough to risk it." She prefers thinking of Hades as a stupid bully, but a comfortable lie is unhelpful. "I guess Nyx is."

Thalia grimaces. Nyx is not enemy she wishes to face. They hoped to avoid Nyx altogether. Their plan is to get in and out. Thalia doesn't care if Hades gets his hellhounds back. If they were lucky, the hellhounds might try to track them back to Hades, and the mission is over. The plan was stupid, but it's the best they got.

Thalia stills. "This changes everything."

Zoe nods.

They have a haphazard plan to rescue two people. "I am not sure we can make a clean escape with more than three others. What if we can't save everyone?" Is it wrong if they give priority to Gleeson and Phoebe because they know them? Her heart twinges.

Zoe shakes her head. "I will not leave a Hunter behind."

Thalia winces. She forgot that, if the others are Hunters, there's a high chance Zoe would know them. "If the others are not Hunters?" Will Zoe let them die?

"It does not matter if we can't find them to begin with. I suggest we focus on that before anything else."

Thalia turns away from Zoe but accepts the shift in the subject with a nod. Is she a coward for avoiding the hard questions until she has no choice? She makes a show of glancing around, but her mind is not with her sight. "Are there other tracks to follow?"

"None I can see. It would not matter anyway. If there were tracks, there is no guarantee it would lead to everyone. Nyx might hold them in separate locations."

"So how do we find them all?"

Zoe stares her in the eye. "We get a bird's-eye view."

"I thought we were trying to be stealthy?"

"It is a risk we will have to take. We move too slow in this forest of boulders. It will take forever at our current pace."

"What's your other idea?" Thalia is sure Zoe has one.

"The one remaining alternative is to run in blind and hope for the best."

"That's not too bad."

"Thalia."

"I know." She hates flying, but she can't come up with a better solution. Her fear will not stop her from rescuing her friends. She inhales. "Give me a second" She exhales. Thalia almost doesn't notice Shinobu give her a pat, muffled by the fur coat, on the back.

Zoe gives her a smile. "Do not worry. I will catch you."

Thalia chuckles. She doubts falling into Zoe's arms from three hundred feet will save her. The crash might kill them both. Warmth spreads from her chest. "Thanks, both of you."

Thalia takes a deep breath. Winds twist around her legs and lift her inch by inch. She exhales. Her arms spread beside her to keep her balance. With each deep breath her speed doubles.

Before she reaches the boulders' full height, she slows her ascent. She inhales. The flight risks alerting the enemy to their location, but she can lower the risk if she is careful and lucky. She resists closing her eyes and forces her gaze downwards. Her gaze lingers to a few white strands floating away from her coat. She exhales.

Thalia pulls her eyes from the strands and scans the area. Her brows furrow, and her lips press together. The boulders are too tall for her to see enough from this altitude. A rush of wind boosts her higher, but her search remains fruitless.

She inhales. As she rises higher, the boulders obscure less of her vision. Instead, their shadows do. The terrible view is unnatural. Zoe and Shinobu are straight below her, yet they are mere blobs of black and white.

Off in the distance, a group of black blobs is by a mansion's silhouette. It must be the Mansion of Night. Are those blobs hellhounds? Is every hellhound by Nyx's mansion or just some? They might be shadows with how bad visibility is.

The corner of her eye glimpses red, but a quick glance reveals nothing. Sparks and bronze catch her eye. She squints. There's a dark spot near it. More hellhounds? She exhales.

The breath that escapes her is rough and dry. She coughs. The world swims beneath her. She gasps, greedy for air. Has her fear of heights caught up to her? How humiliating would it be to die of acrophobia? Her chest hurts. A white strand flitters down from her hood. Is the coat failing?

Winds rush by her, no longer lifting her up. The ground spins counterclockwise over her then under her. Her mind screams at her, but she doesn't understand. Someone is screaming. Who is screaming? Her throat aches. Is she screaming? A gust hits her. Is the wind screaming?

Flesh and bone slam into her, or she slams into it. Pain flares on her arm and on her chest. She tumbles into the dirt. A thud announces her sudden stop.

"Thalia!"

"Ugh." Her body throbs and sharp pain spikes in her arm.

"Thalia!"

It takes her a second to notice pressure on her shoulder. It takes another second to notice the pressure around her waist.

"Thalia, are you all right?"

She attempts to say yes but lets out a pained moan instead. It dawns on her that two hands grip her shoulders while a second pair of arms wraps around her.

"Thalia?"

"Zoe?" If Zoe is talking in front of her, then the person behind her must be, "Shinobu?"

"It seems she is unconscious. The gust you sent out did not slow your fall enough before she caught you. That was a rough fall."

She doesn't remember using the wind to slow her fall. A subconscious defense reaction? She is glad she didn't send out a burst of electricity instead. Her first accidental frying of Shinobu was bad enough. She is not eager for a repeat.

Zoe's hands go under her shoulder and give a slight pull. "Come on. If you are well enough to stand, get off Shinobu. Your weight will not help in her recovery."

She winces as another surge of pain sprouts on her arm, but she complies with Zoe. If Shinobu caught her, Shinobu might be in a worse state than her.

Zoe's eyes and hands roam over her. "Are you all right?"

She winces when Zoe checks her arm.

The oversized coat offers no resistance when Zoe pulls up her sleeve. Zoe pokes around her arm until she hits bull's-eye three inches above the elbow.

"Ouch."

"Good news. You do not have a broken arm."

"You can tell by poking?"

"The pain would be almost uniform across the entire bone if it was. If the bone was not intact, the poking would make unnatural shock waves throughout the arm. Pain distribution from a broken bone would be the same anywhere along the bone."

"A simple yes would suffice."

Zoe grunts. "Does it hurt anywhere else?"

Thalia checks her ribs but finds nothing. "Not that I can tell."

Zoe nods and rushes to Shinobu. Zoe keeps her attention on Shinobu while she asks Thalia, "What happened?"

Thalia's lips press together in a grimace. "I fell."

"Why?"

Her eyes drop to the ground on the far right. "I don't know. The coat, maybe?" She hugs herself. "There was a lot of fur falling from the coat." Her hands rub her arms. "One second, I'm fine. The next, I'm out of breath."

"We need to get out of here soon."

Thalia turns to Zoe and Shinobu. "Will she be okay?"

"She is fine, a concussion at worst. Saw anything useful?"

Thalia rests her head on her right arm which her left supports by the elbow. "Where was I facing when I flew up?"

Zoe points behind Thalia.

Thalia gives the direction a glance but averts her eyes when she glimpses the corpse. "If that's twelve o'clock then the Nyx's abode is at ten. There's a clearing in front of it which might have most of the hellhounds."

"Might?"

"I can't be sure. The view is garbage up there." She'd curse out Tartarus' name if she was not afraid it'd worsen their luck. "At one or two o'clock I saw a glimmer. It might be celestial bronze. That's all I got before I dropped like a rock."

"If we are looking for demigods, celestial bronze is a good start."

Thalia resists saying they should seek silver if they're looking for Hunters of Artemis. "There might be hellhounds near it."

"We will have to be cautious either way."

A soft groan alerts Thalia to Shinobu's awakening.

Shinobu takes a quick scan of their surroundings before she accepts Zoe's hand up.

Zoe purses her lips in contemplation before showing Shinobu a thumbs up. "Are you okay?" She turns the thumb down. "Are you not okay?"

Shinobu responds with a thumbs up of her own and takes Zoe's whispering as a cue when she responds. Though Shinobu keeps her response's volume low, her enthusiasm shines clear.

Zoe bites her lip. "We will have to take her word for it." Despite her words, she gives Shinobu a quick pat down before continuing on. "Let us go. We are on a time limit."

Thalia asks, "No one saw me up there. Do we stay in stealth, or do we make a break for it?"

"There would be more of a commotion if they spotted you, but we will try stealth either way. If they saw you, it will still take them a while to find us if we move now."

Zoe takes the lead. Shinobu follows Zoe's example and sneaks after her. Thalia tries to remember Shinobu's lessons and brings up the rear.

They stalk through the rocky maze for a minute before Zoe whispers to Thalia. "After many lifetimes with Phoebe, I do not believe she would leave others to their deaths."

"What?"

"You asked if I would anyone behind if they are not Hunters."

"Even if they are men?"

Zoe rolls her eyes at Thalia.

"I don't think Gleeson would either." She lets off a soft chuckle. "He's into survival of the fittest. The idiot might ask us to save him last just so he can have more time to fight his captors."

Zoe shakes her head. "We would be lucky if the other satyrs shared Gleeson's courage. Foolish as that courage might be, it is better than cowardice. Our rescue of the other satyrs will be risky. Satyrs in dark caves are panicky. We might need help herding them to safety."

"If the Hunter is young enough, they might panic too." Thalia hopes Zoe isn't being sexist as satyrs are male.

Zoe halts and then retreats a step. She peeks then turns to Thalia and Shinobu. "There is a clearing ahead. Daedalus' body, or what remains of it, is in the center. No other humanoid forms, but there are three hellhounds asleep around it."

"Should we turn back?"

Zoe shakes her head. "His body or the clearing itself might have clues. It is the best lead we got unless we want to roam around. We need to kill the guards."

That is one way to send the hellhounds back to Hades. Or would they end back in Tartarus?

"If I had my bow, I could snipe them from here." She brings out her bone sword.

Thalia brings out her shield and spear.

Shinobu nods to both of them and brings out one of her bone swords. Zoe's bone sword is wide for cutting. Shinobu's is narrow for thrusting.

They sneak into the clearing when Shinobu overtakes Zoe and stops them with an outstretched arm. Zoe and Thalia halt in surprise. Before they can react, Shinobu continues forward. When Thalia steps forward, Zoe stops her.

"Listen."

Thalia raises a brow. "To what? I don't hear anything."

"Neither can I."

"I don't-"

"I cannot hear Shinobu."

Thalia opens her mouth to argue then freezes. Her gaze turns to Shinobu tiptoeing towards the hellhounds.

Zoe, the Lieutenant of Artemis, cannot hear a girl walking an arm's reach away from her.

The blonde stalks forward like a wraith. Thalia stares at the ground hypnotized. The soft dirt beneath shows no sign of Shinobu's passage. Blood in her ears thrums louder with each pulse than Shinobu's footsteps.

Her breath catches in her throat and for a second she wonders if she is about to fall again.

Zoe nudges her back to reality. "You okay? Is the coat acting up again?"

Thalia nods. "It's not. I'm okay."

"Then let us get moving."

Thalia turns to Shinobu. The blond wipes blood off her blade, but the bone stains red. Thalia's eyes roam the clearing. She didn't even register Shinobu killing the hellhounds.

"Impressive."

The voice shocks Thalia and Zoe. "Daedalus?"


	51. 1051: Kuramas

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Kuramas|-

* * *

When Shinobu hears Daedalus' voice, she zips passed Thalia and Zoe before they can get a word in. 'Him' in this case being the upper half of human body.

"Daedalus!" Her excitement obvious despite keeping her words to whisper. "How are you here? We left a complete Daedalus back in the castle. Are you a clone?" Her words rush out she waves her sword around. "Or is your soul in two places at once? Or does Daedalus have more than one-"

"Shinobu." His voice, though quieter than hers, echo with a metallic thrum. "Allow me to speak to your companions first. There are urgent matters we must discuss."

Shinobu drops to the ground with her legs crossed, left arm on her knees, right arm with the sword, and a pout on her lips. She waves Thalia and Zoe over before she turns her back from the trio and sulks. Childish perhaps, but warranted in her opinion. It has been so long since she could speak to anybody. For a person as talkative as her, it has been a challenge.

She holds on to her stubborn posture for five seconds before flops flat on the ground and draws on dirt. The drawing ends after another five seconds when the course soil cuts her finger. Her pout vanishes soon after. She can't find it in herself to mope around. It's not in her to sit and do nothing either.

She hears a few almost yells from behind her. Whatever they're discussing must be important. As bored as she is, she's not petty enough to interrupt them without good reason.

Iruka's voice in her head warns her not to dull her blade by stabbing it in the ground. She obeys the advice but shakes her internal monolog away.

If she had more chakra she would patrol the area. As it is, it'd be a foolish waste of energy. She drained a lot of chakras saving Thalia by creating a gust of wind to cushion her fall. The thin layer of chakra she used to on her feet and her sword took their own toll. It was necessary for walking and killing in silence. She can't patrol a large area in stealth and in a short time frame without chakra. Her fast recovery can't keep up with the drain of a proper patrol with chakra.

The most useful thing she can do is scan the area and remain alert for possible intruders. Not that they need her to. A quick glance shows her Zoe's eyes darting around the clearing. Thalia isn't as observant of their surroundings, but her spear remains in her hand. She applauds the girl's good instincts to remain ready for a fight.

The movement to her right catches her peripheral vision. Her eyes dart to the location, but the red moves faster than her line of sight. She leaps to her feet. Her hand grips her sword, firm but not stiff.

Then notices something off. Her companions are still busy talking among themselves. Thalia and Zoe should have noticed her sudden actions. "Hey." She keeps her volume low. One enemy finding them does not mean all their enemies are aware of their presence.

They don't respond. She bites her lip. There is no point in trying any louder. They should have heard her. She moves towards her comrades when a voice bellows behind her.

"I wouldn't bother."

Her eyes widen as she recognizes the deep and rumbling voice. She whispers his name, "Kurama," as she turns, her heart pounding against her chest.

The cat-sized fox stares at her with its slitted red eyes. "Naruto."

She runs to him with outstretched arms. Her arms wrap around the small creature and squeeze him to her chest. She buries her head on his body and wipes her tears against his red-orange fur. Her body trembles as she sobs into him. "I missed you."

"That much is obvious."

She laughs. "Stupid fox. I missed you."

All nine of his long tails wrap around her arms. "While I'm sure you'd want nothing more that to hug me till I snap in two, we don't have time." He pulls her arms apart and forces her to let him go. Strong muscles hide underneath his tail's fluffy cover.

She resists the urge to pick him back up again and hug him to death. Her current body would serve as a foolproof excuse to squee at his adorable form.

"As close as you are to the dimensional rift, I don't have the energy to talk to you forever. The alternative would be to come closer to the gap between worlds, but that is too dangerous to risk."

"Okay. I understand." She understands most of what he said. The rest she will process later. Emotions drown too much of her mind for complex thought at the moment.

"There's a lot I need to explain to you, and we got limited time. Listen."

"I'll listen."

"I am Kurama. You are Naruto."

"I use 'Shinobu' in this world."

The fox continues without pause. "I am not Kurama, and you are not Naruto."

"I'm sorry. What?"

"That you are here in this world shows that there exist many worlds unlike your own. What I am telling you is that there exist many worlds much like your own."

"You are Kurama from a different dimension than mine." Her heart aches. "You are Kurama, but you are not my Kurama." It aches a lot.

"That statement is both true and false."

She furrows her brow, but no amount of effort on her part yields understanding. All she accomplishes is a headache.

His front paw swipes forward.

She hisses as a sharp pain on her scalp announces his thievery of a strand of her hair. "So you got thumbs. You look more like a fox than my Kurama, but you're for sure not fox."

"This is one strand of hair."

"Yes?" Her reply comes slow, unsure of his point.

He grabs the hair by the middle and holds it up to her. "Is this two strands of hair?"

"Is this a trick question?"

"Why is this not two strands of hair?"

"Because you didn't cut it?"

He nods. "I hid a part of it in my hand, and there are two visible parts. While you don't see their connection, the two visible parts are still connected."

"Sure."

He opens his hand but a small section is missing.

"So it isn't one strand?"

The missing section shimmers and for a second the strand is whole again. It shimmers again and the middle disappears.

"Genjutsu."

He the small fox nods. "It's an illusion."

"So that's how you hid from my friends."

"And hid your reaction from their minds. Back to the strand." More sections shimmer and disappear. Three small strands remain on his palm, and many tiny strands float below the sides of his hand. "With more parts hidden, I've made it appear as though there are twelve pieces. We both understand this to be a lie. Just because we cannot see the connection does not mean the connection does not exist."

She racks her mind on what he is trying to say. "You and my Kurama share a connection?"

"The void that divides the many worlds hides many connections."

"Can that connection extend to unlike worlds? Are there connections between this world and my old world?"

"I'm afraid I cannot say. The dimensional gap hides most connections well. Even beings that transcend beyond my level cannot see them."

"Your level?"

"The Sage of Six Paths created the Kurama of your world from the Ten-Tails. My origins are the same, until a point. As there exists many Kuramas, there exist many Narutos. My Naruto grasped eternity and grew in power, and he elevated me up with him."

"Cool." She doesn't know what else to say to that. "This is interesting and all, but why are you telling me this?"

"You need to understand basics so I can explain my motivations. My Naruto became at one point became tied with the concept of honesty. I feel I must live up to that concept and be truthful to you."

"It's not too bad is it?"

"I am tied to the concept of trickery. My nature became that of a trickster. I suppose you could say it is my job. Sometimes I trick the strong to remind them that they are not infallible. Sometimes I trick the weak to remind them that not all is as it seems."

"Okay. I'm still not sure how this is important."

"It is important that you understand I am a trickster as I am about to ask you to make a deal with me."

"I trust you."

"Foolish, but with your stubbornness, it'll take a lifetime to convince you to reconsider."

She grins. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"As I mentioned, I have ascended beyond what you would call a tailed beast. Such an existence comes with, let's say, 'rules.' I am bound to follow these rules. One such rule is a limit on how much I can influence worlds. The farther a dimension is to my original home, the less I'm allowed to alter its fate."

"I can't believe you're starting this fate talk with me. It feels like yesterday when I told Neji how much that's a flimsy excuse."

"Says the Child of Prophecy."

Shinobu turns her head away from him with a huff. She has her objections to that notion, but she can't explain it in words. "So, the deal you want me to make." Her attempt to move the discussion away from fate and prophecy isn't subtle, but she isn't trying to be.

"In this world, I can visit and observe. If I am careful, I can also make small moves to influences its course. Our current conversation is the most I can do. It's not enough. Your proximity to the gap between worlds is too specific a circumstance. For what I wish to do, I need more freedom. As with most rules, there are loopholes."

"Wait. What about the illusion you've put my friends in? Isn't that a lot of influence?"

"Naruto."

"Shinobu."

"Shinobu. This is an illusion. It's not a complex one either. If you would be so inclined, you can break free of it with ease. Your friends can too."

"Oh."

"For me to do more than this mere trick, I need to you to summon me."

"You're offering me a summoning contract?"

"No. Not the kind you had with the toads. Before six years are over, I need you to return here and create a portal for me to enter."

"A dimensional portal? How do I even start with that?"

"In exchange for your promise to create this portal within the time limit, I offer power."

"Power?"

"The portal won't be an easy task, and it won't be your one concern. There are things already in motion that will shake the foundations of this world. Trust me, you will need any help you can get."

"What kind of power?" While she is far from power hungry, she isn't opposed to a power up.

"Three gifts that will last six years. The first is knowledge needed to build the portal."

"It's kinda unfair. You need me to have this info."

"The alternative is for you find and learn this yourself."

"No thanks. I'll take your first offer." The thought of researching obscure and complicated rituals didn't appeal to her.

"The second is my guidance."

"Doesn't that make the first redundant?"

"The first allows you access to forbidden knowledge. My guidance has limits on what I'm allowed to tell you. It has more to do with the third gift than the first."

"Which is?"

"For my third gift, I will enchant your bone swords and bone armor. They will repair themselves and grow as you grow. You will be able to summon them from anywhere at the cost of chakra."

"That's it? I was hoping for something with more oomph to it. You can't make them shoot lightning or something?"

"I will grant your second and third gift by binding my soul to them. Through them, I can appear by your side in physical form." The grin on his face would look out of place in a real fox. "As I bind myself to your property, the rules would compel me to fight by your side if you so command it."

"If you can take physical form with that, why do you need me to build a portal at all?"

"The power I bring with me will be minimal. At best, I'd be a large, intelligent canine companion which can negate illusions. Not enough for my purpose."

"Which is?"

The fox shakes its head. "The rules forbid me from telling you. It involves knowledge of factors beyond this multiverse cluster."

"No loopholes for that one?"

"None that are pleasant." The fox stares her in the eyes. "Before you accept the deal, understand one important detail. The nature of this deal binds us to the deal's fulfillment. I cannot take back my gifts before the six years end under any circumstances. To do so would result in me descending from my current level. You cannot break your oath to build the portal under any circumstances. To do so would result in your removal from existence."

"I'd die?"

"Worse. Everything about you will disappear. All that you accomplished undone. Remember that you share a connection with the Narutos for other worlds. Your removal from existence will ripple through that bond in ways you cannot comprehend."

"Alright. Let's make the deal."

"Two minutes left before this illusion ends. Think about your decision before you act."

"Don't worry. I won't fail."

"Idiot." The fox stares at her before letting out a huff. "Fine. If you are ready, concentrate on the terms of the deal then think of yourself."

She does so and faints.

The fox shakes its head. "No hesitation at all." The illusion ends and his image vanishes.

* * *

-|Demons|-

* * *

Shinobu's discarded blade transforms into a fox twice the size of a normal fox.

A voice echoes behind Kurama. "So you would go this far."

"I've warned her enough. Blame her for making a deal with a confessed trickster."

A shadow forms on the rocks. "You told her enough to make the deal binding."

"Of everyone, you are the last one who should lecture me, Madara."

"You omitted a lot of truths. Your Naruto was once tied with the duality of truth and deception."

"Don't you dare speak his name, you who have earned the title as Destroyer of Worlds."

"Others have called me Savior. Others have called you Demon. And there are others that fear his name."

"You should too."

"This gambit of yours will end in tragedy. There is a reason for that portal's name."

"One of many names."

"The one that the vast majority call it. For good reason."

The fox turns away from the shadow.

"You've condemned her to build your hell gate."


	52. 1052: Escape

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Escape|-

* * *

"Daedalus?" Thalia stares at the figure on the boulder in shock. "How?" Despite the missing its bottom half and both arms, the head belongs to Daedalus. She's sure the real Daedalus is the one in Hades' palace.

"It is an automaton." Zoe inspects the exposed gears and wires with crossed arms. "Or what remains of it." She hops back as sparks fly.

The body speaks with a metallic echo. "The Hunter is correct. Though I am far from any regular automaton. In my memory resides half of Daedalus' knowledge. I have records of his inventions, theories, research-"

"We get it," Zoe groans, "you are a storage device for the senile old man."

"I do not _just _store information. Though limited, my AI can process information beyond most automatons. I can draw inferences appropriate to the situation in hand. At best, most automatons fake animal-like intelligence. A rare few are smarter than domesticated beasts."

Thalia frowns. The best she can understand, it is a robot with "limited" artificial intelligence. If Daedalus considers that limited, she doesn't want to meet any he considers advanced. She's learned enough from movies to say a machine holding a conversation is impressive. She almost convinces herself that she was speaking with Daedalus himself.

"You are saying you can plan for different scenarios." Zoe makes her disbelief obvious. "If nothing else, it shares Daedalus' penchant of boasting of its cunning."

Thalia smiles at Zoe's jab.

The machine takes Zoe's insult as praise. "I am Daedalus' means to ensure he leaves a mark in the world in case death catches up to him."

Thalia can't help but make her own joke at its expense. "He made sure he got to brag about how smart he his to everybody."

It ignores her words. "When the hellhounds attacked, I served as a distraction. I lured the enemy away from the piece that held Daedalus' soul. You have escorted him to his workshop, correct? What am I saying? Of course, you did. The probability of retrieval would have been slim without his survival. This rescue's success remains small but still higher with his brilliance behind it."

Thalia raises a brow. "Are you sure Daedalus didn't make you as a way to boost his own ego?"

It continues unimpeded by Thalia's words. "After I deduced it appropriate, I disabled all motor functions in a ruse. Within seconds, I ensnared my captors with my deception."

Zoe crosses her arms. "Are you bragging about playing dead?"

"Biological creatures are unable to halt their involuntary systems. As such, they are incapable of the same level of deception I had enacted."

Thalia rubs the bridge of her nose. "How in the world are you more insufferable than Daedalus himself?"

"Insuffer-"

Thalia grabs the body and lifts it to eye level. "I don't care. We don't have time to listen to you admire yourself. We got friends to rescue. Are you of any use for that or should we leave you here like the piece of junk you are?"

"I have information you'll need, but as I stated, my AI has limits. For me to store the all the information I do, Daedalus had to make compromises. I am unable to pull out specific data on its own. My system links information and must read along through association."

Zoe snatches the body away from Thalia and speaks through gritted teeth. "Speak in English. I didn't spend so much effort on learning this barbaric language to listen to gibberish."

"He says he can't remember anything without going on his tangents."

Zoe stares at her as if she had grown a second head.

"I stuck out with Annabeth and Luke, remember?"

Zoe doesn't stop staring at her. "The daughter of Athena I can understand. What does a son of Hermes have to do with you understanding this babble."

The body speaks before she can. "Forgive me. I had forgotten how out of touch the Hunters of Artemis are due to their reclusive nature. Even when Greece was at its prime, your-"

"Luke doesn't limit himself to stealing tangible stuff," she interrupts. She doesn't want it to wastes any more time than it needs to. "He doesn't do it often, but from time to time he'll try stealing info. Plus, he has a habit of sneaking in tech he shouldn't into camp. Back to topic." She turns to it. "Get to helping us in five minutes or I'll fry your circuits."

"I assure you, I do not rely on cir-"

"Ticktock, ticktock, you pile of scrap!"

"While I was perpetuating my ruse among the enemy, I also kept my recording systems active."

Thalia perks up at that. "Got anything good?"

"I can say, without a doubt, hellhounds are worse at English than Shinobu."

Thalia resists the urge to facepalm.

Zoe had no such resilience.

"The rest of Nyx's children fair much better in that regard. It's a shame most left to carry Nyx's bidding. Nyx herself was incomprehensible." He stops talking and a bad audio recording plays.

"Roots... wild... our... then... Hunt... clad... snare... pow..."

Thalia sighs. "Worthless." She's almost out of patience.

"To you? Yes. But to me? My electro-acoustic transducers pick up frequencies inaudible to your ears." Light flares from its center, focused to a point and burns lines on the largest bald spot on Thalia's coat.

"Hey."

Thalia leaps away and attempts to dodge. Despite her attempts, the focused light draws on her jacket without flaw. Thalia stares down. On her coat is a map for the maze they found themselves in. She can tell the map is rough and didn't cover half the area. It doesn't change how amazing it is considering its source. The map extends a few centimeters beyond the bald spot and burns some fur. If her guess is right, the body used its mics as a sonar.

"I was unable to get enough data to make a complete estimate of this maze. Tartarus is worse than the Labyrinth when it comes to consistency. That map should cover the two most important locations for your purposes. Three half circles mark where the Hunters and satyrs should be. The dotted line is my suggestion for your exit."

Zoe stares at the map in awe. Thalia would have too if she didn't have to cover her nose to block the stench of burned leather.

"Wait, what about us?" Zoe asks. "Where are we on this map?"

"Our location is not on the map, yet. I have a request for you to consider."

Thalia can't believe what she's hearing. "You're blackmailing us?" Her fingers pinching her nose makes her outrage far less intimidating. She glares at Zoe's amused face.

"In my compartment is a Stygian whistle. I must confess, Daedalus' own paranoia has a habit of working against him. He kept the whistle locked in a compartment. That compartment is the bronze sphere sticking out near the three gears. Daedalus hid the key in his workshop. I request you open it."

"Why?"

"The whistle is for Daedalus' companion, a hellhound."

"Why am I not surprised." The revelation _should _surprise her. Hellhounds are the agents of Hades, and Daedalus ran from death. It _doesn't_ surprise her, and she has no clue why.

Zoe has other concerns. "And?"

"And it so happens this particular hellhound has become the head of the pack, so long as their mother is absent. When you call for him with the whistle, the rest will follow."

Zoe and Thalia stare at each other. It is amazing news. The body, without knowing it, has handed them a means to complete their mission from Hades.

Zoe turns to the body. "How far away can this hellhound hear the whistle?"

"Ice from the River Styx, or Stygian Ice-" The body makes a sound akin to a needle skipping vinyl. "You can use the whistle once before it shatters into"-another skip-"pieces. Under normal circumstances, the whistle would work no matter the distance. Tartarus is an unknown factor. A strong enough supernatural interference will shorten the limit. I'd suggest using it as soon as you exit the maze."

Zoe says, "Alright. We'll do it." Zoe and Thalia lock eyes. Her words are a lie. They won't risk their lives and the lives of their friends.

More sparks fly as gears on the body whirl and eject the sphere into Zoe's hands. "To use the key, press its tip against the surface and draw a triangle."

"What key?"

"The key Daedalus gave you."

"He didn't give us a key."

The body becomes silent for a second. "Daedalus didn't tell you he gave you a key."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Mrs. O'Leary. The hellhound's name is Mrs. O'Leary."

Zoe almost shouts, "What does that mean!"

Thalia grabs her shoulder. "It means he gave us the key."

"What are you-"

Thalia shakes her head. "Let's go find it and get this over with." Her gaze lingers on the body. Perhaps she's reading too much into it, but Daedalus naming the hellhound must mean he cares a lot about it. Well, that and the fact that the body is going so far to blackmail them.

"Fine. Where do you think he'd hide it?"

Thalia's eyes widen. "Shinobu."

They turn to the blonde's location. To their surprise, the girl lies on the ground asleep.

Thalia and Zoe frown at that. It seems out of character for the girl to sleep on the job. They rush to her, but she stirs awake before they reach her.

Thalia wraps her arms around Shinobu. Her eyes scan the area for any enemy that might have snuck up on them. While her hug is both to protect and to comfort, her hands also search her jacket. For some reason, she is certain it is Shinobu whom Daedalus gave the key. It could mean they've lost the key when Shinobu fell in the river of flame.

Before the dark memory of that moment can settle too deep, a metallic clang rings between their feet. A bronze rod lies on the stony ground. She ignores Shinobu's pout when she lets go and picks it up. "How'd we miss this?" The rod is as large as her hand.

Zoe takes it from her with a raised brow. "Perhaps he hid it in the Mist or this 'key' collapses to occupy a much smaller space. I would not put it passed the man to have it show itself under specific conditions."

"You know what? I don't care. Let's get this over with."

Thalia snatches the rod back and takes the sphere. She draws a triangle on the sphere. It dissolves and reveals their whistle. "There. We got the whistle. Complete the map or I smash this into pieces."

A beam shoots from the mechanical torso and carves a circle on her coat. "With Daedalus alive, my survival is no longer a priority." The body begins ticking. "I will provide you a distraction. In thirty minutes I will self-destruct. Make sure you are out of the Labyrinth before the timer reaches ten minutes."

"I thought you said we had thirty minutes!"

"We are not in the Labyrinth you blasted contraption!"

"Do not fret. Under my calculation, you can finish this rescue in two thousand five hundred seconds."

Zoe and Thalia run out, and Shinobu follows after them.

"If that automaton kills us,"-Zoe rolls under a rock-"I'll skin Daedalus! If I have to find a way to escape the Underworld, then so be it!"

Thalia grunts as she leaps down a small boulder. "Get in line. I'll fry the old bastard first."

Zoe's sudden stop almost causes Thalia to stumble. The Hunter grabs the front of Thalia coat and glares at the map.

"Something wrong?" Her breath is short, but she's not heaving.

"The map is off." Zoe says, "It's not much," before Thalia lets out a curse. "It's possible the terrain changed."

Not for the first time, Thalia hates the supernatural world's defiance of common sense. "So we're not lost?"

Zoe lets go of her coat and runs.

"I'll take that as a no," Thalia whispers to herself.

Less than a minute into their run, Zoe stops for a second time. This time, Thalia fails to stop and almost bumps into Zoe.

She turns her head to Shinobu gripping the back of her coat with a grin. "Thanks."

Thalia returns her attention to Zoe who falls to her knees with wide eyes and parted lips. She follows Zoe's gaze into the clearing to a clump of dull silver.

Beside the embers of a dead campfire, girls clad in silver huddle together. Their jackets dangle over their frail form. The boulders around the clearing cast dark shadows over their form. Despite this, Thalia can see the curve of their bones under their skin. It's obvious the Hunters suffer from starvation.

"Artemis' blessing kept them alive." The relief in Zoe's voice rings hollow in Thalia's ears.

It is both great and horrible news. If none had come to rescue them, their immortality would damn them. They'd remain trapped in the hellish landscape, doomed to starve for eternity. It'd be a mercy for their captors to kill them.

The satyrs scattered around the clearing didn't suffer from malnutrition. Thalia can make a quick guess how. Their iron stomachs allowed them to eat pretty much anything. She spots a familiar face within seconds. "Gleeson!"

The satyr jumps in surprise! "Who's there? You! Here to join the fight?"

"Fight? No! We're here to rescue you. We better hurry. There's a bomb!"

The word bomb sends ripples through the group. Frail Hunters rise and turn to Zoe. One of them speaks though her voice is weak. "Orders?" Thalia almost didn't recognize her as Phoebe.

"We escape," Zoe barks.

The satyrs cower and wrap their limbs around themselves.

Gleeson grunts. "Let me get that flail from the pile. I'll smash that bomb before it kills us."

"Pile?"

"Yeah. The hellhounds had been dragging armors and weapons to Nyx's doorstep for weeks. It might be months. A year? Can't tell. Time is all screwy in here."

"Are there others?"

"There _were _others." He motions his head to the surrounding satyrs. "They hate being underground, and Tartarus was about as under the earth as you can get."

Thalia wonders if he's masking his unease of being underground or if he is as foolhardy as he sounds.

"A few died of the injuries they received from their kidnapping. Most though died from fear. They either ran blind and died from accidents or stayed and died from heart attacks."

The satyr's frankness about death disturbs Thalia, but she respects it as well. Perhaps the satyr is acting tough and will break down later. Or perhaps it's him taking to heart his survival of the fittest philosophy. Either way, it means they had another able body that can help them.

Zoe turns to Thalia. "Phoebe tells me Nyx had everyone here kidnapped for a reason. We can't let her keep any of them."

"What are you saying?"

"Either we escape with everyone or we kill who we leave behind."

"We'll get everyone out." If they had more time, Thalia is sure she and Zoe would debate the merits of every option. As it is, they can't take the time to consider every possible choice and need to make fast decisions.

Gleeson scoffs. "The satyr are too afraid of their own shadows to follow your lead."

To her surprise, Zoe comes with a solution. "Then we heard them out."

The Hunters nod and move without the need for Zoe to elaborate.

Despite their almost skeletal physique, the Hunters followed Zoe's lead without hesitation. The Hunters herd the frightened satyrs through the maze of boulders. Their exit was much slower than their entrance but they made it out.

The satyrs stop at every noise. Hunters struggle with every obstacle. The ordeal was a blur of rock and bodies in Thalia's memory.

She can't remember the details. Perhaps it is her mind's means of coping.

Because when they reached the exit, everything went south.

"Nyx!"


	53. 1053: Black

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Black|-

* * *

Ash and smoke billow upward until it towered over every boulder in the behind them. A woman forms from the dark, churning cloud and stands twice the height of Damasen.

Shinobu feels fear.

Fear is all she feels.

All is fear.

The bright pupil shines almost blinding against the dark void that was the woman. Her unnatural blackness meant every surface detail became invisible even to her trained eyes. If not for the small luminescent wisps on her clothes, the woman would have looked flat. Behind her, large wings spread, and shadow envelops everything.

The satyrs behind her stare at the apparition with wide eyes and silent screams. Thuds echo against the hard earth as the malnourished warriors fall to their knees. Their spirit, their hope, the last of their strength drains.

All is fear. Reflex throws the daggers towards the source of all the fear. Darkness devours the blades into nothing. The dark woman pays little attention to the crumbling group before her. Their existence proves insignificant.

The figure mumbles yet every unintelligible word echoes in her ears.

Fear is all she perceives. Shinobu's heart tightens against her chest. Visions of her death fly before her eyes followed by visions of fates far worse than death. Then all she sees is oblivion. The crushing nothingness squeezes down around her.

_I swear on the pain in my left hand!_

Wounded yelps reach her mind before she registers metal between her fingers. Daggers fly from her hands before her consciousness tells her they are the third set she has thrown. Blood's metallic tang floods her nose before her eyes identify the would-be attackers. A few of the large black dogs whine and whimper, but most stand firm despite their injuries.

Shinobu accepts fear. Fear is an emotion as important as any other. A shinobi without fear is a fool. Shinobu will not become an emotionless tool. Emotion drives her to become a warrior, protector of her precious people. Fear does not compel her to run. It forces her to fight.

More of the large black dogs come. For each slain by her daggers, twelve more rise from shadows. The girls and half-men they're rescuing are in no condition to fight. Monstrous beasts outnumber and surround them. Every logical part of her brain that can still think through the fear screams for retreat. She can't save them all. If she's smart, she can save herself.

Shinobu never was the smart one.

Too bad for her enemies.

"Kurama!"

_"You're lucky we're still so close to the dimensional gap."_

"Lecture later!" The lack of weight tells Shinobu her daggers have yet to return to their holsters. "Fight now!" Her hands pull her long, narrow, bone swords out.

The shadow woman screams and points at nothing. She explodes in size, and for a second becomes three times larger than she already was. Then the shadows crumble and leave behind a shadow of a little girl the size of a grown man. The giant child slams her fist down into the hardened earth.

_"Don't. My power is still limit-"_

She turns her attention to the dogs staring at her frozen. Shinobu's no genius, but she's not brain dead.

_"Debatable."_

Her earlier attack was a mistake. When confronted with fear, her reflex screams to punch its source until it stops being scary. As she is, she can't punch hard enough. For today, the shadow can scream at nothing all it wants. So long as it doesn't attack her friends, her best option is to just leave it be. She has enough enemies to worry about.

Power rushes through her chakra pathways and fills her body. The aura this Kurama unleashes in lending her its power is familiar but different.

Her first taste of Kurama's chakra had a blend of hatred and rage that was oppressive in its quantity. Centuries of humans treating him as a mindless monster or as a tool for war caused Kurama to hate humans. Imprisonment into his host further cemented that hate and anger.

It was a hatred that took some time to quell. When the hatred left, all that remained was power. Sometimes it carried the desire to kill whatever enemy they faced at the time. Still, it no longer instilled the overbearing darkness into both allies and enemies.

Akin to her Kurama, it speaks of his view of all those around them as inferior creatures. Unlike her Kurama, his aura exudes a feral quality. He hungers for the humans, half-humans, and beasts around them. This Kurama's aura is that of a predator.

There is a hunger for the shadow woman too. Shinobu can sense his effort in avoiding projecting his aura in her direction. It serves as further validation of her decision to not attack the woman.

The shadow woman's mere presence unnerves her in ways none of her previous life's enemies had. Without Kurama, Shinobu would've been certain she was under an illusion. If this is the result of the shadow's unfocused insanity, she hopes to never be the target of her focused ire.

The large black dogs move, unhindered by the shadow woman's horrific aura.

_"The privileges of children."_

Her allies don't share such privilege. The large black dogs prowl towards her comrades with teeth bared.

_"Pups with milk teeth."_

They threaten her friends. Rage fills her.

_"Show them our power!"_

Kurama roars. She roars with him.

Terror sweeps her allies and her enemies.

Her world blurs, and when it clears, her sword is hilt deep into black fur.

The shadow's frightening presence petrifies.

Kurama's terrifying semblance spurs chaos.

Most the half-men run away from his predatory aura and stampede through enemy lines. Gleeson runs _into _the cluster of enemies with a flying kick.

Most the cloaked girls throw silver daggers and weaken the enemy through precision. Zoe and Thalia push the horde of enemies away from the frail warriors and frightened half-men.

Confident in her friends' skill Shinobu turns her attention back to the shadow. The blinding pinpricks that are the woman's pupils almost vibrate with their constant movement. Yet every so often they linger on the battle before her.

_"Not good."_

Whatever insanity that blinded the woman from the present won't be enough to save them.

"Kurama," Shinobu whispers, "she hasn't seen me." It doesn't make sense considering the commotion she's causing.

_"Illusion. I'm a trickster, remember?"_

"Just me? Why not cover my friends too?"

_"I've told you. Reality limits my influence."_

The shadow's eyes linger longer and longer on the group pushing their way through the sea of dogs.

"Kurama. Stop."

_"Are you insane?"_

The shadow grows and stops its erratic shapeshifting.

"Stop the illusion. Let her see me."

_"Death will not end our contract. If you are unable to fulfill your end because you are dead, nihility_ _will still come."_

The shadow woman points at the group and screams.

"I don't care!"

_"You're as stubborn as he was."_

More chakra flows through Shinobu, and she brings her hands in front of her as if she's trying to crush a large ball. She concentrates the chakra to her arms.

_"One to three."_

The amount of chakra builds until visible orbs of white and black form between her palms.

"What?"

_"You're trying to get a ratio of four positive __chakra__ for every negative __chakra__."_

More white and black orbs form, and their weight strains every muscle in her body.

_"That might have been correct in your universe, but I am no longer a tailed beast, and this is not your universe."_

The ground beneath her feet cracks under the weight.

_"To succeed, you must use a ratio of three negative chakra for every single positive chakra."_

"Alright, three to one"

Chakra spreads her weight and prevents her from sinking, but creates a crater around her as wide as she is tall.

"Three to one."

The crater grows to twice its size.

"Three to one."

The white and black orbs condense into a black orb half the size of a fist.

With a yell, she pushes her hand forward. The small ball at first does nothing, but then flies from her palm with a sharp bang. Its flight creates shock waves through the air. The ball strikes the shadow's shoulder and sends the dark woman flying through the air. It explodes and knocks everyone to the ground.

Shinobu pushes herself to her knees when the ground beneath her shakes. A new voice bellows over the distance.

_"Run."_

She does.

Shinobu runs towards the group, her thighs aching with every step. She leaps over a dead body and her knees protest her heavy landing. A simple sidestepping to avoid a girl in dirtied silver sends agony up her bones. She grabs Zoe by the shoulder and lifts the girl to her feet despite her aching arms and back. Her body screams in pain as she rushes to Thalia and does the same.

Another bellow echoes accompanied by the shadow woman's screams. They need to leave. The trio goes to work helping the rest of the group up. Shinobu focuses on her work and away from the pain.

She almost doesn't hear Gleeson's angry voice. A swift glance shows him berating a couple of males. Whatever he is saying, it affects more than the two he is facing. Other horned men shamble towards the gaunt girls and carry them on their backs.

Dark spots seep into her vision, and the world sways beneath her feet.

_"Your new body has yet to adapt to so much of my chakra."_

She doesn't have the energy to call him out on stating the obvious. Her shallow breaths chill her lung. Strange. The air is hot and dry against her face. Her mind almost doesn't register Zoe's concerned expression.

_"It has yet to adapt to so much of your chakra missing."_

Kurama can't be right. She's worked herself to exhaustion before, though she can't remember when at the moment. Barks and growls ring in her head. It takes her a moment to recognize they aren't coming from Kurama. Black blobs rise from the black spots on the floor behind them.

_"The hounds are traversing the shadows."_

She remembers green.

Shinobu collapses in someone's arms. Zoe? Thalia? Hinata? She almost mistakes the pungent, sharp scent pressed against her face as chlorine.

The world blurs and discomfort makes itself known to her front, most of all her belly. Whoever caught her is now carrying her over their shoulder. Each hurried step of her savior jostles her and makes her dizzy. Her neck strains as she lifts her head, desperate to stay awake. Why? She should sleep. No! There's danger!

She remembers a leaf.

The black blobs grow bigger. Their enemy is gaining ground. They're coming closer. Enemy? Enemies. The black dogs. There was another, right? A big one.

She remembers the leaf splitting in two.

The world shakes. Did her transporter stumble? Earthquake? Both?

The blobs grow bigger. Their enemies are coming closer. Enemies? The dogs, right? A big one.

A shadow looms over the blobs. It reaches for them.

She waves her hand. It tingles. Her breath evacuates her lungs as the shoulder underneath her belly jostles.

The blobs shrink. Enemies? Dogs.

The looming shadow recoils.

She blinks. Why is she moving? Is someone carrying her?

Horns blare. Explosions. Fire. Cheering?

_"Looks like your companion's gamble paid off."_

Gamble? Tsunade? Why is granny here?

_"You can rest."_


	54. 1054: Interlude

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Theatrical Interlude|-

* * *

"Everything has gone to shit!"

"Language." Athena chastises Ares, but her voice lacks its usual bite.

The bickering whenever the Olympians hold meetings is a constant in Apollo's immortal life. He can almost consider it background noise if he isn't such an active part of the arguing.

It's obvious this is one of the rare moments Athena has to agree with Ares. Scarier than that, this is one of the rare moments where everyone in solstice meeting agreed.

"Everything has gone to shit!"

The god of war's nature is conflict. His aura makes everyone, even the gods, eager for a fight. Today, his aura flooded the room yet none could argue against the truth of his words.

"Everything has gone to shit!" Ares slams his fists down and shatters the table into pieces.

Hephaestus rolls his eyes and waves his hand. The table rebuilds itself in a second. Slow for the god of craftsmen, but they are all sluggish today. It's not easy being everywhere at once. Every god was busy on damage control.

"Everything has gone to-"

"Enough." Zeus' voice thunders across the room. It'd have been less intimidating if he had shouted. Everyone can see he is ready to explode. That he hasn't already speaks volumes. He turns to Hades. "Speak."

The god of death looks almost mortal himself. His form is old and frail. While the gods can choose any appearance, the most honest one takes the least effort. His current form tells all how this disaster has stretched him the thinnest. "Hecate informed me the Mist will hold. The mortals will remain ignorant."

Hera nods. "Good news."

Apollo scoffs. "One of the few." He ignores the frowns everyone gives at his words and demeanor. Him being the sun god doesn't mean he always has a sunny disposition. He's glad they make no further comment.

It's no secret that Artemis has been absent for a month. Rather, it wasn't a secret in the supernatural world. As Hades said, Hecate's Mist keep mortals ignorant. A month of cloudy nights raised suspicion, but nothing beyond the standard doomsayers.

His eyes linger on Zeus who's eyes shift every so often to the empty seat the goddess would have occupied.

"We'll take what few we can get," says Poseidon. He turns to Hades. "If you can send these undead to the rivers, they will cast them into the sea. I'll hold them there for as long you need."

Hades gives a nod that is both thankful and begrudging. Of all the gods, Poseidon's domain is among the least affected by the event. The dark god no doubt appreciates the aid, but everyone knows it isn't for free.

Ares grumbles. "The walking corpses wouldn't be so bad if half of them could go and kill people. Instead of bloody zombie carnage, we get a growing nuisance we need to step in and fix."

Hades shakes his head. "Be glad I was able to keep most of the violent souls from escaping. With how things are, anyone those undead kill will slip my grasp and join the horde."

"A war without death." Ares shudders. "What a boring waste."

"Of course, you would say that," Athena whispers.

"What news of my daughter?"

Hades sends Zeus a mild glare. "I cannot say. Tartarus has been much more difficult as of late. My eyes cannot pierce through his dark-"

A sudden tingle sparked from Apollo's pinky.

Hermes leaps from his throne. "News!"

Apollo ignores Hermes' outburst in favor of looking at his pinky. "That's new."

Hermes turns to Ares and speaks in haste. "You want to help stop this? I need firepower!"

"What-"

"Ares!" The room shakes with Zeus' words. "Give him what he wants!"

Hermes eyes move from Hades to Ares and back to Hades.

Hades' eyes narrow. "Do you need him there?"

"Hades!" Zeus bellows.

"It is your law. Or do you intend to show your bias again, God of Justice?"

Thunder crackles across the room.

Hermes speaks before it can escalate further. "Just a bit of his influence is enough."

Hades scoffs but nods.

With that, Hermes grabs Ares and they disappear in a flash.

Half the remaining eyes turn to him with raised brows.

Apollo shrugs. It's about as much as an admittance of his ignorance as they will get. His title is God of Prophecy, not All-knowing. That was Helios' shtick. He just sees better than most gods. A lot better, he thinks to himself.

Hades perks up though the act is difficult to notice even for his eyes. The haggard god's grimace deepens, and he pales... or turns paler than he already is.

Apollo can almost see the hearts of the gods and goddesses plummet. His does too. That isn't an expression one wished to see on the face of the dark god. The shiver that works its way up his spine shares an eerie similarity to his pinky-tingle.

An explosion announces the return of Hermes and Ares.

Poseidon breaks the silence. "What is it?"

The two gods turn to Hades and share his grimace.

Ares slums into his throne. Hermes remains standing.

Hades' eyes land on Zeus. "They are successful."

The shiver earlier leaves a tingle in the back of Apollo neck and his eyes widen. Eyes return to him as he nods. "She has fulfilled her part of the prophecy. Her quest is complete." The prophecy isn't done, but it might as well be.

The silent question, "But?", hangs in the air.

Hermes is the one who answers. "They bring bad news."

Ares steeples his fingers over his chest. "Something has Nyx spooked."

Hades nods. "I've peered into your daughter's mind. Nyx's current actions seem to be the fruit of her fear."

Hera shoots up from her seat. "Fear of what?"

Apollo feels no shame in making an inaudible but visible gulp. Zeus himself did not disrespect Nyx's power and authority over her domain. For something to scare her, meant they should all be cautious. It's also worth remembering that the darkness came before the light. He won't say it out loud, but he doubts his chariot's light could pierce her shadows.

"We do not know." Despite Hades' words, Apollo can see the gears turning in his head. "The memories I've glimpsed from the young Grace's mind has Nyx talking to herself." Hades snaps his fingers, and moving images of Thalia's memory paint the ceiling.

"Theatrics," the god of the sea whispers.

The image before them has the Nyx looming over the Hunters, satyrs, and demigods. Apollo shakes his head. If Artemis was present, she'd mourn the state of her companions. It's always a shame for beauty to go to waste. If Artemis was present, she'd shoot him for the mere thought. He sometimes wonders if she can read his mind.

The image of Protogenos of the Night on their roof mumbles to itself, "-_thought he was so clever. So clever."_

Apollo stares up mesmerized by her erratic behavior.

The image shows hellhounds surround the group through shadow travel.

_"To think he'd threaten-he'd dare threaten me! Just because. But I know. I heard you when you thought I wasn't."_

Silver catches Apollo's eyes. Daggers fly from the corner of the projection and hit three hellhounds. "Not bad." It wasn't anything worth noting out of context, but he appreciates accuracy under pressure.

_"You threaten to push. Yes! I am next to the void. My home is next to,_" she whispers the name, "_Khaos._"

The name sends shivers through the room.

Apollo makes note of Nyx's indifference to her children's injured state. She makes no motion to defend them from the second attack.

_"You dare threaten to push. But I heard. I heard."_ She repeats the last sentence over and over as more of her children shadow travel into the scene.

Nyx's form grows and shrinks without any pattern. "_Tartarus!_" She slams her fist down. "_You coward! If I fall, then you become the closest. He'll push you! We cannot trust his truth. But I heard. You can't help it, can you? Prophecy. Not all but I heard!_"

"One prophecy ends, another begins." Apollo stares down on his hands and whispers, "and another is still ongoing." If anyone heard him, they'd assume his last words are of The Great Prophecy. His mind lingers on a prophecy he can't remember.

His morbid thoughts almost cause him to miss the slight swirl on the projected image. The distortion is small and unnoticeable if one's focus is on Nyx. It's almost as unnoticeable as the tiny twitches on Hades' face. Apollo's brows furrow. What was the old geezer up to?

Off in the corner, a celestial bronze spearhead buries itself in the roof of a hellhound's open maw. Apollo's eyes narrow. A demigod eye, though better than human eyes, still has a poor field of view. No doubt the young Thalia has her focus on her fight and away from Nyx. Despite her perspective's shift, the projection's focus remains on Nyx. The color doesn't dim and the details don't blur.

It brings to light how much control Hades has to what he is presenting. If this was a simple reprojection, it'd be as disorienting as the work of an amateur cameraman. What Hades is doing goes beyond making the image watchable. He's making sure their focus remains on Nyx.

Apollo glances on the image of Nyx with her gaze on the satyrs.

"_Give it to me!_"

He searches the projection after her eyes jump to the Hunters.

_"Show me!_"

Apollo almost chuckles. Poseidon has no idea how right his comment was. This is less news and more theatrics. He'll give Hades props for his skill, but his deception isn't perfect, not against the god of the arts.

He ignores Nyx and searches for the small inconsistencies in Hades' charade. Demigod eyes, though worse than divine eyes, still have amazing perception. Along with a demigod's ADHD, it gave small fragments of details for Apollo to pick out. Bright crimson reflects against a hellhound's eye. The hellhound's red pupil makes it hard to spot, but he can.

The detail from the reflection is poor, but enough for Apollo to see the humanoid figure under the red glow. Right before Apollo can get a better look, the whole projection shakes.

Behind Nyx, Tartarus' monstrous form rises to its immense height. His purple glistening flesh ripples with muscle. Razor-sharp black talons grab Nyx's elbow. "**You dare call me a coward!**" His words fall back into him instead of echoing outward.

Apollo almost didn't notice him. His mind is too busy whirling through the last few seconds. He won't say it out loud, but he has to admit, Hades is a brilliant god. Hades used Tartarus' appearance as a distraction. As the god of the arts, he has influence over the many tricks movies use. Hades cut something out.

Apollo's eyes return to Nyx as she screams at Tartarus. Her words fall into the swirling whirlpool of darkness that is Tartarus' face. "_You heard! Do you know? Tell me! Prophecy is doom!_"

A sudden explosion rocks the viewpoint. Apollo can't stop himself from clapping at Hades' showmanship. The image fades to white, but the prophecy echoes over the room.

"Theatrics."

* * *

**_Roots of the wild will devour the earthen mother._**

**_Hunter's ironclad to ensnare the sky's power._**


	55. 1055: Anticlimax

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Anticlimax|-

* * *

_You shall be the lone demigod to take this quest_

_You may earn a pardon through twelve tasks as a test_

_At death's entrance, the heroine to bid farewells_

_Thorny walls and fiery towers to toll their bells_

Thalia stands in the Big House Attic staring at the Oracle of Delphi. Her mind repeats the prophecy the dried up corpse gave her.

"Thalia?"

Pride sparks in her for not jumping in surprise at Luke's voice. If she had to guess, her lack of a reaction stems from the lack of full surprise. Her experience with Luke, Annabeth, and Grover gave her a heightened awareness. It gave her the edge over other demigods who's main alarm system was their ADHD. Her experience in her quest trumps that.

The cold metal under her fingers brings a smile to her face. She didn't jump in surprise. While her mind was absent, her body was ready and was already reaching for her mace before Luke spoke up. It isn't up to par with Zoe's or Shinobu's awareness or reflex, but it far better than most demigods'.

"Thalia?"

She jumps. Her cheeks warm with embarrassment. She was so far into praising herself in her own mind that she zoned out.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you." Luke's tone lacks its usual vibrancy. The Big House Attic does that.

All joy drains away from everyone one who enters the room.

"Are you alright?"

Thalia shakes her head. "I'm fine. Just thinking."

"The quest?"

She glances at the various trophies stored within the attic. Many of them are the spoils taken by demigods along their quests. "The prophecy."

"What of it?"

Her eyes return to the corpse sitting on the wooden chair. "It's funny."

"Excuse me?"

"When I first got the prophecy, it scared me." It's hard to admit that a few words could scare her like a child. "It said that a heroine would say goodbye at death's entrance."

"And of course, you consider yourself as the heroine."

She elbows him at the rib but gives him a grateful smile at his attempt to lighten the mood. "That part isn't wrong. I _am _the heroine."

"You're here," he whispers.

"It wasn't saying I would die, just say goodbye. Daedalus and Shinobu had to stay at the Underworld and Zoe left with her hunters." The Hunters of Artemis heard rumors of a rare creature in the Underworld and couldn't pass up the chance. Something in the way Zoe told her of their plans told Thalia to keep that tidbit of info to herself.

"I'm sorry about Shinobu."

"She's not dead, just unwell. Daedalus mentioned something about soul energy or something. Shinobu's not staying there forever, just a year." She smiles. "Maybe the old robot can teach her some English while she's recovering."

"Sounds like good news all around. You didn't even have to go through the twelve labors garbage Heracles had."

"I talked to Chiron about that. He disagrees."

"You don't sound convinced."

"He says I did do twelve tasks. I killed the Stygian birds for stupid deer antlers. We went through the labyrinth. Me powering up that machine to clear our path is enough of a chore. Shinobu killed the Nemean Lion. Heck, if chipping paint off from Hades' palace doesn't count, nothing should."

Luke chuckles.

Thalia zaps him. "I mega-tasered a lot Arai for Shinobu to finish off after I flew over the Acheron. The Maeonian Drakon was far from a cake walk."

"There you go. You did a lot of tasks."

"I forgot you don't know how to count. Seven is far from twelve."

"Count flying over the Acheron and killing Arai as separate tasks and you get eight."

"And the four."

Luke rolls his eyes. "If you didn't have such a large ego, you'd have noticed that you didn't do half the things you mentioned."

"I'm not a liar!"

"You're not humble either. By your own words, Shinobu killed the Nemean Lion and the Arai. I'm also guessing you 'forgot' some of the hunter's contributions."

She crosses her arms and raises a brow at him. "What are you saying?"

"Come on. I saw the fight you had the last time she sent you an invitation to her little group."

"We didn't have a fight."

"You almost fried her."

"That was an accident! It's not like I threw a lightning bolt at her!"

"You'd miss."

"Funny. I don't seem to have much trouble hitting you."

"You got me once. The others don't count as throwing lighting."

She punches him in the shoulder and heads down to stairs.

"What? No comeback for that one?"

"Too easy." Despite her cocky words, she felt tired. The back and forth reminds her too much of her time with Zoe. Luke is right. She and Zoe tended to clash against each other. He is also wrong. She doesn't hate Zoe. Thalia understands why Luke would assume she does.

For a brief period in her life, she thought she disliked the hunter too. It wasn't until she and Zoe parted ways that she realized she didn't hate her. She didn't even dislike Zoe. They disagree on many things, but she disagreed with Luke, Annabeth, and Grover a lot too.

It brings forth the question of how she feels about the Lieutenant of Artemis. The easy answer is as a friend. It isn't wrong, but the friendship she has with Zoe is different. Why? Her friendship with Luke, Annabeth, and Grover grew under the camaraderie forged in hardship.

She met Luke first. Two demigods together have a better chance than each has alone. They later ran into Annabeth, or she ran into them. They moved from safe house to safe house until they had to get supplies from Luke's house.

Thalia rubs her knees at the memory.

Luke's mom was nice, kinda. She was leagues better than some mortal parents at least. They left soon after for reasons personal to Luke.

The three of them came upon Grover who convinced them to head to Camp Half-Blood. They met the Hunters of Artemis on their way to camp. Thalia almost joined them instead. Zoe gave convincing arguments of the benefits of being a hunter rather than a camper. She and Zoe argued.

Thalia turns her eyes to Luke following behind her.

It was after that when more dangerous monsters chased after them. She blames Hades for that. The Furies and hellhounds that attacked once they neared camp made his involvement obvious. It was then that they met Shinobu who helped them out.

Thalia winces as she remembers how that ended.

"What do you want?" She gives herself a pat on the back on how convincing her false annoyance is.

"No longer wanting to get lost in your own head?"

Not convincing enough for Luke it turns out. "Any ideas on what the other four are?"

"Subtle."

"Shut up."

"I thought you wanted to talk?"

"Luke."

"Fine. You're no fun today."

"Says Mr. Broody."

"I don't brood."

"Right."

"I'm not sure how much of the rumors I heard are true."

"Subtle."

"Do you want to hear my guesses or not?"

"Go ahead. If you say something that didn't happen, I'll let you know."

"The hunter asking the giant to fix Hermes' shrine might be one."

"Would Damasen's repair job count?"

"Like I said, a task may not have to be something you yourself do."

"How about Zoe convincing Damasen to give everything he had as a sacrifice to Hermes?"

"It might count, but the repair and sacrifice might count as a single task."

"I guess that counts out Zoe freeing him from his curse as well."

"Yeah. If it doesn't link to him fixing the shrine, it might link to killing the Drakon."

"Great. We get a single credit for kill the Drakon twice and cursing it for eternity."

"When has being a demigod ever been fair?"

She sighs. "Shinobu got the finishing blow on the Drakon twice."

Luke raises a brow at her sudden admittance.

"Demigods already don't get their fair share. I won't take credit for someone else's victory."

Luke nods. "You getting Hades his pets back should count."

"Do you think surviving Tartarus as a whole is one?"

"It's possible that everything you did in Tartarus gets grouped into one. Maybe other than surviving Nyx."

Thalia makes no comment. In truth, she doesn't remember much of her encounter with Nyx. Sometimes she wonders if that part was just a vivid nightmare.

"You're lucky the giant held his end of the bargain. I doubt the gods would have sent you that battleship if not for his offering."

"We were lucky to have survived any moment in Tartarus. Too bad surviving is all we got out of it."

"Don't be so sure."

"More rumors?"

"There was another meeting between the cabin counselors. They were talking about the stuff you brought back."

"And?"

"The laptop you brought back got the most interest."

"Daedalus' gift?"

"It has blueprints."

"The counselors are showing interest for blueprints? I'd understand Cabin 6. Athena is their mom." Annabeth, for example, didn't hide her own desire to see the laptop when she heard about it.

"Cabin 5 is demanding a camp-wide project."

"Ares's brats?"

"Wow. You have no idea what the blueprints are about at all. Didn't you at least take a peek?"

"Technology and demigods don't mix."

"The laptop doesn't attract monsters. Maybe it's because it can't connect to the internet."

It wouldn't surprise Thalia if Daedalus made sure it couldn't attract monsters. "So? What's the big fuss about?"

"Camp Half-Blood."

"What?"

"It's a blueprint of camp with proposed upgrades. They say it's the whole point of the quest."

"How?"

"The quest was to get camp more protection."

"Sure, but I thought getting Hades to back off is the point. He even gave us some of his hellhounds as guard dogs."

"It helps, but we can't rely on the moods of the gods for safety."

"And these upgrades?"

"It has layouts for fortified walls and guard towers with turrets and inbuilt flamethrowers. There are also chemical formulas to fuel those flame throwers."

"Let me guess, Greek fire."

"Nah. From what I hear, it's something people invented more than 150 years ago."

"I get why the war kids are into this, what about the rest? It's hard to see Cabin 4 jumping for joy at the news."

"There are also a few notes on covering the walls with special vines to make them impossible to scale. The kids of Demeter are trying to breed something thorny, slippery, poisonous, and venomous."

"Don't tell me they're still mad about the strawberry thing?"

"They are, but it's not their main motivation. The satyrs are holding a protest."

"You're serious."

"Yeah. It's something about how Demeter is the Goddess of Agriculture, not nature."

"I don't get it."

"Agriculture is a science. It involves breeding plants and animals so they're better for human or divine wants."

"They've gone mad scientist, haven't they?"

"No."

Silence.

"Maybe a bit."

"Cabin 10?"

"Aphrodite's kids?"

"The chatterboxes must consider the whole thing is unfashionable or some junk."

"They helping with the vine."

"Why? No, wait. I don't want to know."

"Want to hear what Cabin 7 is up to?"

"No. I'm no longer interested in whatever Apollo's children is up to."

"Why not?"

"I've got a headache."

"It's a lot to take in, huh?"

"So much is changing."

Luke nods. "Chiron said the same thing. I don't get the sense he's seen such a rapid shift in Camp Half-Blood in a long while."

"Camp Half-Blood is changing."

Is it for the better?

* * *

-|A/N|-

* * *

First of all, I would like to thank all those that have read this fanfic. I thank you all. I thank those that have read it from start to finish. I thank those that gave it a shot even if you stopped reading after the first chapter. I thank everyone who's made a comment. I read every comment, positive, negative, and neutral.

I personally think I bit off more than I could chew. I added the language barrier because I always found that interesting, but I wasn't able to use it in my fic in an interesting way. More often than not, it hurt the story more than it helped.

One of my greatest regrets is how I got Naruto into the world.

Other complaints to myself, not enough output. This fic is almost 2 years old, and progress has been slow. It's faster in terms of word count than I anticipated, but the plot progression is behind where I imagined it.

I have other nitpicks, but I'm not sure I can be bothered to fix them.

This whole volume has been a great learning experience.

Again, thank you.


	56. 2001: Two Years Later

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Two Years Later|-

* * *

Shinobu bounces from foot to foot. She cranes her neck to gaze at the small triangle which lay engraved on the door's top. Her eyes scan the rest of the engravings on the stone surface for the twentieth time. She turns her head to the darkness behind her. "Come on! Hurry, you stupid old guy!"

"Langua-"

The loud thunk echoes in her ears before the pain flares in her fist. She grins at the sight of the pale, black-haired man on the ground.

"You're lucky this body is incapable of perceiving pain." The man pushes himself up and brushes off the dust from his black suit. "There was no need for violence."

"I don't agree. You shouldn't hide then surprise people."

"I was testing the enhancements," he pauses, "Lord," and grimaces, "Pluto provided this body."

"Stop using big words! Or tell me more words!"

"Grammar is more important than vocabulary. Complex words with poor grammar give the notion of inadequate intelligence. While your intellect is below average, there is no need for others to learn of that fact within five words."

She places her fist on her hip, over her sheathed sword, and her right hand points at him. "What's the point of talking if I can't understand you?"

"I understand myself. That is enough."

She kicks him in the shin and pretends her toe isn't screaming in pain.

He smirks. "One would think you'd have learned by now. Flesh against unfeeling metal hurts you more than it hurts me." He crosses his arms.

"Your body's added power to hide is cool but don't use it against me if you don't want to get hurt."

"Language is a skill. The more you use it, the better you'll get. That includes hearing new words. You've been able to assume a sentence's full meaning through context well enough."

Shinobu resists the urge to reach for her daggers behind her back. She tells herself his insufferable attitude isn't all his fault. Pluto gave him upgrades under the condition of other modifications.

"Are you ready?"

She growls. "Just open the door already! I've been waiting for hours!"

"There is no need to exaggerate."

"Don't think that your added power means I can't kick your ass. I haven't been outside for two years!"

"You needed rest. Your encounter with Nyx had drained most of your life force."

She wants to correct him, but she's not sure he's wrong. When Kurama visited her in her mindscape, her initial assumption had been chakra exhaustion. Kurama claimed otherwise. She suffered from chakra exhaustion, but Kurama stated he could handle it. What put her down for the first year was something else. It's too bad all she got from Kurama's explanation was a headache.

"If it weren't for Lord Pluto's kindness, Lord Hades might not have saved your life."

She still has trouble understanding Pluto and Hades. They are the same person and different persons at the same time. "I doubt it was good will that got them to help me."

"They gave you a fair contract."

"Two! I have one for each. How is that an even deal!"

"They gave you the option to end both contracts."

"Because dying sounds like a great idea."

"For as poor as your vocabulary is, your sarcasm is top notch."

"Maybe punching you will take out whatever they put in that made you so annoying."

"I don't see what you find so displeasing with your assigned tasks. You've stated before how you much you wish to protect others. Lord," his lips twitch, "Hades' command to protect two demigods shouldn't be an issue."

"I want to keep my friends safe, not follow two babies around all their lives."

"His two living children are far from infants."

"You know what I mean."

"A lifelong bodyguard mission is better than no life for yourself."

"I took the chance of everything ending to be free, to own my life, and to walk my road."

"You and everyone else."

"Just open the door." She cracks her knuckles before he can retort.

His face remains neutral, but his body hurries to the door's center.

"Good boy, Daedalus."

He rolls his eyes but keeps silent as he traces the carved symbols on the door.

Shinobu grins. She spent a large part of her second year serving as his body's final test run. They gave up trying to find a way for his mechanical body to last over twenty minutes in one piece. She wishes she could do so without her silver daggers, but she's in no rush. Power is great, but it's not her priority.

The stone door slides open without a sound.

"That's weird." Darkness from the open door disappoints her. She expected blinding light to flood the room. Waves crashing over in the distance bring small comfort.

"You spent two years with the ghosts and skeletal warriors without fuss, yet you comment on the door."

She crosses her arms, not a comfortable a pose due to her metal forearm guards and bone breastplate. "I don't like dead people, but they were nice. It's not nice to bad talk them. Also, I was asleep for a year so I didn't spend more than a year with the dead people." She walks out and takes in her surroundings.

Daedalus follows her though his eyes focus on the night sky. "No moon," he whispers.

She pouts. "The light of stars are not as bright." Her eyes roam the long strip of sand in front of them. "It's still better than the dark inside." Her boots squish with each step. She almost wants to go barefoot and feel the wet sand between her toes.

"The palace had more lighting than this forest."

She reaches underneath her leather jacket and pulls out a white mask with red markings. The mask limits her vision as she places it over her face for a second. A moment later, the world around her becomes clearer to her eyes. If not for the slight red tint at the edges of her sight, she could convince herself that this isn't an illusion.

Daedalus turns his sight away from her and to their path. "I hate that mask."

She'd roll her eyes at him if he could see it. "And yet, you haven't gone a week without asking to play with it."

"Curiosity and hatred are not exclusive to each other. A person can nurture a scientific interest to objects they disdain. I also wouldn't call the desire to analyze the drakon's spoils as play."

"You enjoy it the same way you enjoy drawing."

"I have an enthusiasm for discovery and experimentation."

She doesn't understand what he said, but she chuckles all the same. "You were grinning and dancing when you got that dead body on your table."

"I was not!"

Her chuckles become laughter.

"I miscalculated with a few regulatory substances."

"The happy-sad-angry water in your blood."

"My attempts to closer replicate the human body was a mistake."

"Your body now isn't perfect either."

"It's better."

"Is it good enough to find the kids?"

"Even if the enchantment was as good as most monster's ability to sniff out demigods, we are too far away."

"And you call this," she points to her mask, "weird and bad."

"If you find that disturbing, you should try spending a lifetime as a demigod. It'll be a fraction of my experience."

"Do you have any idea where to start looking?"

"That depends on where we are."

She points to the cabin ahead of them and asks, "Want to ask for directions?"

The ground rumbles and brings her attention the tall silhouettes with six arms near the cabin.

Mechanical whirling alerts her to Daedalus' right arm splitting open, revealing a metal crossbow. A bronze bolt twice as long as her fingers launch with enough force to push Daedalus two steps back. The target's head explodes on impact, and the enemy crumbles.

The mask's illusion shifts and provides more detail. Her eyes spot the projectile in the air before it crashes into the water far to her right. She leaps left as a second projectile sends sand into their near her previous location. The new illusion shows five more six-armed, moving, clay statues compacting balls of sand.

Daedalus strikes one of them by the shoulder before it could throw it's makeshift cannon ball. The compact sand drops and kills its creator. Daedalus makes no move to dodge the four projectiles headed towards him.

She rolls her eyes at his confident smirk as they all miss him. Her foot slams down and sends sand into Daedalus' face as she sprints forward. She grins as she hears him sputter behind her. Her grin widens when she reaches the closest enemy before Daedalus can recover for her trick.

Her hands pull the two swords from her side, revealing their white, narrow blades. One blade thrusts forward as her other sword stabs the closest fist headed towards her. The tip pierces her opponent's chest without resistance. She leaps back before the crumbling enemy can fall over her.

A glint of bronze strikes and explode's an enemy's fist.

Shinobu leaps to the five-armed enemy and stabs up from throat to temple. She kicks off its chest as she pulls out her blade.

A bronze bolt arcs overhead then splits into a hundred thin needles that pepper the two enemies in front of her.

She turns her head to Daedalus and yells, "What's the matter? Can't you hit well enough with just one?"

"One must-"

A child's sudden scream beyond the cabin interrupts Daedalus' retort.

Another female voice yells out, "Percy!"


	57. 2002: Percy Jackson

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Percy Jackson|-

* * *

Percy Jackson is nine years old. A few hours ago, he sat bored in a small beach house on the shoreline his mother rented.

The lapping of waves drowns his mother's voice, "He is too young," through the wall.

His ears perk in curiosity, but lethargy restrains him to the wooden couch.

"Last week was a fluke."

The reminder doubles the invisible weight over his body. He thought the worst of this school would be his accident in Sea World. His classmates weren't happy with their unplanned swim.

"Of course I want him safe!"

Things started getting bad last month when his substitute teacher gave them a quiz. It wasn't the pop-quiz itself that was bad. Okay, the quiz was bad. Math quizzes were always a torture in his book. But he'd take math over earthquakes. Most of the time, anyways.

Their teacher led them out of the school before a sinkhole appeared and buried half the school.

He hoped everyone would be okay. Rather, he hoped he wouldn't get in trouble.

Selfish, he'll admit, but he had good reason to be.

He had noticed strange things that happened two years ago. Did strange things had happened before that? If they did, he didn't remember. They weren't bad, but they were strange.

Like at first-grade, when heavy traffic caused a suspension of classes. His mom joked that zombies weren't aware their meandering was causing a gridlock. The offhand comment would have been forgettable if it was the one time her mom mentioned zombies. He couldn't escape the nagging voice that it was why he changed schools.

After that, his second-grade school also got suspended due to traffic. From what he understood, a large group of women and trees were the cause of that one. The news implied they were all following around some guy. Perhaps the man had a cure for cooties?

Combined with his accident in the Sea World Shark Pool, he feared the worst. What if everyone thought these were his fault?

It was a stretch even to his nine-year-old mind, but most the other kids already called him weird. Every one of his classmates seemed to fall into their groups. He couldn't find one, always the new kid.

A loud thud rattles him from his musings. He wonders if there is another earthquake. The memory of his school sinking into the earth spurs him off the couch. He stumbles when the door slams open and reveals his mother.

She rushes to him and kneels to envelop him in a tight hug.

"Mom?" he says as has hands give a gentle push on her shoulder.

Her embrace tightens around him. She always smelled of sweets, but today there was a tinge of salt.

He hears her breath catch. The shoulders of his shirt become damp against his mother's face. "Mom?" His own voice filled with uncertainty.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Mom?!" For every bully, for every strangeness in his life, nothing scared him more than this. "Please don't cry."

"I was selfish, keeping you near me. I thought we had more time."

The ground trembles beneath them.

Before Percy can find his words, his mother lifts him up and carries him out the cabin. Her hold on him remains tight.

A roar, sharp like the shattering ceramic, fills the air.

He tries to look over his mother shoulder but her long brown blocks his sight. The sound of her feet hitting the sand with each step tells him they're outside.

A much stronger shake sends his mother stumbling down as sand showers over them.

"Are you alright?"

He doesn't get a chance to reply before she grabs him and runs.

She doesn't get five steps before another explosion of sand sends them into the air. They crash into the ground hard. Chocolate and licorice mix with salt and rust in his nose.

It takes a second before his mother groans and tries to rise. She stumbles and falls to her side.

The darkness hides everything but silhouettes from his eyes. Large lumbering figures march towards them. The closest one kneels and, when it rises, lifts a large ball in its hands. His eyes widen. He pushes off the sand and walks towards his mother.

"Mom." His voice trembles. "Mom!" He tries to shout, but his throat tightens his words to a whisper. "Please!" His eyes sting, and his vision blurs. "Wake up."

For once, his ADHD fades as his whole world narrows. He almost doesn't notice another explosion of sand behind him. His arms ache as he shakes her.

"We need to go. Please."

Relief washes over him when her blue eyes flutter open. "Percy?" She groans. Her eyes widen. "Percy."

He sniffles. "Mom."

Her pupils dart from him to the left. Time slows as her eyes widen further. "Run to the sea." It feels like an eternity for him to realize she's looking behind him. All too quick for him to react, her hands grab him by the shoulder and throws him. "Run."

The confusion comes then goes as the world stops. His eyes lock with the four hands reaching towards where he was, where his mom still is. He screams. Maybe he's screaming, "Mom!" Is he screaming her name, "Sally!" or something else? All he hears is his own screams as the large figure grabs his mother.

He sees his mother's lips move, but all he hears is screaming. His feet push against the ground.

"Percy!"

His name stops him.

"Run!"

"No," he says, but his feet step back. "No," his mind, his soul, roars for him to move forward but his feet betray him. He takes more steps away from his mother, "No," and the monster that holds her, "No." Two steps become four. "No," the world blurs as tears fill his eyes. Each step is faster than the last. "No."

His feet touch the water.

"NO!"

One second he was stepping back, the next he is elbow deep in wet clay.

He doesn't complete a breath before blinding pain fires from his shoulder like a cannon. A thousand hot daggers dig throughout his arm. No sight, no sound, only pain.

"Percy!" His mother's voice scream sound faint against the deafening pain.

The next sound in his ear catch is the water lapping against his skin.

It takes him a moment to realize the pain has dulled to a throb. With the pain in his arm silenced, others make themselves known. His throat and eyelids ache. The world flickers as his eyes flutter open.

Despite the darkness, he makes out the blue in his mother's eyes hovering over him. He whisper's for her, but gasps escape his lips instead.

His eyes widen as another set of blue stares down at him. "You okay, kid?"

His brows furrow at the stranger. He glances at his mother.

His mother glances at the girl then somewhere else with uncertainty but turns to him with a smile. "It's alright, Percy. They're here to help."

The soft tremble of the sand beneath him tells him there are more of the large creatures around.

"Don't worry," the girl tells his mother with a grin. "The old show-off will kill all the big, bad men. Your kid will be safe."

A sudden bang lights the night orange.

Percy pushes himself up despite his body's protest, but his mother places a hand on his chest.

His lips part to tell his mother he wants to see what is happening when he sees her tears. The shadows almost hide them, but the flickers of light reflect against the wet trail.

His mother's words are the last thing he remembers that night.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

Percy Jackson gazed out the window from the front of his mother's car. His thoughts aren't in the city in his view but elsewhere. Or rather, nowhere. He tries to recall the day after the fight with the monsters, but all he gets are pieces.

He turns to his left. The man on the wheel pays no attention to him. His mother isn't driving her car. His mother isn't in the car.

The monsters are after him, not his mother. His mother is safer at home than with him. He is a danger to his mother.

His heart twists in his chest.

A sudden bang and a shriek attract his eyes but his mind doesn't take in the details. At best, he understands the car's automatic defenses took out another monster.

He pauses for a second at that.

Ah, right. The man modified his mother's car before they left. He has no idea how the man was able to make so many changes in a day without any tools. There's a niggling voice at the back of his head about how cool it is. Yet, that the car shoots arrows, fire, and arrows on fire doesn't excite him.

His gaze drops to his right arm.

He has power. Isn't this cool too?

His fist clench.

His mother isn't driving the car. She will never drive this car. He doesn't know when he'll see her again.

His heart clenches.

* * *

-|A/N|-

* * *

Sorry for the long delay. I did expect some, hence, why there wasn't any written date listed on the summary as it usually does. However, it took much longer than expected.

Initially, the delay was because of I was moving. That took more of a toll on me than I expected. Then I got a bit of the flu. Usually, getting sick is a good excuse to have more time writing but I really couldn't with this one.

Overall that would have taken two to four weeks off of me.

The largest delay came because I lost their voices. It's hard for me to explain but I'll try.

I have the skeleton of the plot in my head that I try to herd the characters through. However, the characters themselves tend to do what they want to do (even wanting to do something else and derailing my plans for the story). When I write each character, I can almost hear their 'voice' in my head.

After the flu, I was going to start writing again, but I lost their voice. I know what I wanted to happen, but without the voices of the characters in my head, I couldn't write them at all.


	58. 2003: Fast Travel

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Fast Travel|-

* * *

One of the greatest downsides of his adding arsenal to his mechanical body was the space they took up. It meant the removal of certain parts to make room for each piece. He still felt a surge of pride in his own skill as an inventor when he considered his accomplishment.

Enough firepower to match a small demigod army packed into one automaton was a genius of science.

He ignores the microscopic voice in his head. He didn't need a reminder of how fast Shinobu tore through him last time. And that was _without _her cut-anything daggers.

The same automaton passing as an ordinary human was a genius of artistry.

Daedalus took great care to ensure every detail was perfect. It wasn't enough to have a skin and hair that looked and felt human even to enhanced senses. The body had to move like a human.

The false skin made fake sweat. Small computers took information from sensors to calculate the proper amount of involuntary action. Every breath a perfect simulation of life. He went so far to add tiny motors that created the illusion of blood flowing under the skin.

The material Pluto provided proved invaluable. Without their ridiculous durability, the tiny moving parts would be too delicate. Celestial bronze wouldn't last a year of light use. Hard combat would break half of his systems.

He wondered if the Roman god of death got the alloy from Vulcan. It's possible the God of Metals and Metallurgy had no hand in it. But the probability was as slim as the odds of Mars and Ares deciding on their own to prance around in a neon pink tutu.

And yet, he couldn't call his newest body perfect. For one, it wasn't as invulnerable as he wanted it to be.

He ignores the tiny voice in his head making itself known again. Stupid daggers.

More relevant to his current situation, it wasn't as expressive as he needed it right now.

The expression on his face wasn't incredulous enough to convey his thoughts to the woman in front of him. As it was, Alecto, or the young man the Mist showed her to be, remained amused. He almost didn't recognize the policeman as one of Hades' head torturer.

"Was this Lord Hades' mischief or Lord Pluto's?"

The officer's face scowls. "Be careful of your words demigod. Neither god will tolerate insubordination."

"So you don't know. I should have expected as much." He gives her a smug grin.

Alecto gives him a bestial growl unfitting to the Mist's illusion.

When the Fury leaves his false smirk turns into a grimace before he turns around and heads to the car. Neither the Roman nor the Greek god of the Underworld would be so spontaneous. The sudden change of plans rang warning signs at the back of his mind.

It doesn't take him long to spot Shinobu talking to the young boy, Percy Jackson, at the backseat. The conversation is as one-sided as every attempt Shinobu had with the child. At least the kid seems to be listening to her overexcited retelling of her last quest. The occasional nod as he stared wide eyed at Shinobu is better than the blank gaze he held to his feet before.

"... and then Thalia flew up into the-" Shinobu eyes more from the boy to him, "Oh hey, Daedalus! How's your smell tracking going?"

He hesitates and considers how much he should say. "There's been some changes in circumstances. We'll head to Camp Half-Blood first and make plans from there."

Percy's eyes snap to him at the mention of the camp, but the boy remains silent.

Shinobu tilts her head at him with a finger tapping her chin. "So we aren't searching for them anymore? Are you sure the babies will be safe?"

"They're safer from monsters than we are out here in the open. Although, your concern for their safety surprises me."

"I'm not a bad person. I don't want them to get hurt. It is staying with them all the time that I don't want."

"The original goal was to get them under Camp Half-Blood's protection. Under that circumstance, you'd have a lot of freedom so long as you stayed within the camp's vicinity. At worst, they'd receive a quest which means you'd need to go with them."

Shinobu huffs and crosses her arms. "I don't want to stay there."

Percy jumps from the seat. "You can leave camp?"

Daedalus rubs his temples. "Demigods stay at Camp Half-Blood for protection, but that is not all it offers. It also trains them how to protect themselves, among other things. Many demigods stay year-round, but many also take it just as any other summer camp." He turns to Percy. "With enough training, you might be able to survive without returning to camp at all."

Percy opens his mouth, but Shinobu speaks first.

"I'm strong enough to stay out."

Daedalus wonders how it is possible for his machine body to have a migraine. "All you've talked about in the Underworld is going back to your friends. Why the change of heart?"

"I haven't changed my mind. I want to visit, but I never wanted to stay for all time."

Daedalus sighs.

Percy speaks up before either of them. "You said if I become strong enough, I can leave camp forever! If I'm strong enough, I can stay with mom, right?"

"I've surrounded myself with suicidal imbeciles," he whispers to himself. He drops his hand from his forehead and raises his eyes to the boy. "Your mother's request was for us to escort you to camp. After that, you're free to do whatever foolishness you wish." He turns his gaze to Shinobu. "As for you, if you wish to throw away the second chance at life you received, I will not stop you."

Shinobu scoffs. "Don't be stupid. The two-in-one guys helped me so I'll help them with the babies. I don't have to like doing things to do them."

"Your words would be more convincing if you stopped whining about it."

"I haven't talked about it the whole time we were in the car! In fact, I brought them up asking about them being safe." The girl stuck out her tongue at him.

"Uhm, sir?"

Shinobu gave Percy a light elbow to the rib. "'Sir' is too nice for him. Call him Daedalus." She grins. "Or call him 'stupid, old guy' like me."

Percy raises a brow at that. "You haven't called him that at all," he said with confusion.

Shinobu grins wider. "That's because you haven't been with us long enough."

Daedalus resists the urge to press his fingers against his skull. "The headache isn't real," he tells himself. "This body doesn't experience pain." Not in the traditional sense.

A sudden jolt in the car snaps Percy out of his stupor. "Oh, right!" He turns to Daedalus with wide eyes. "Sir!"

Shinobu gives him a light tap on the head.

Percy turns to her, confused for a second, before returning his attention to Daedalus. "Stupid, old guy."

Daedalus takes the alarm in the child's voice as an excuse to ease his exasperation.

"The car!" continues Percy, too panicked to notice Shinobu's impossible grin or Daedalus' pained expression. "It's sinking."

Daedalus blinks, then he looks down. "Huh. So it is."

Shinobu chuckles. "I guess they got tired of waiting for us to move."

Daedalus groans. Odds are, Shinobu is right. "Best not keep our masters waiting." He ambles towards to the car and climbs in, not bothering with the door or caring for Percy's shock.

"The car is sinking!"

"Yes, Percy Jackson. Yes, it is. I suggest wearing your seatbelt."

Daedalus doesn't take his own advice. By the single click he hears behind him, neither did Shinobu.

The car sinks inch by inch until the ground is higher than the wheels. After that, the car plummets into its own shadow.

For a moment, there is nothing but darkness.

If it weren't for his artificial sight, the sudden return to daylight would blind him. As it is, he becomes aware that their vehicle is flying through the air before either of his passengers.

A sudden torrent of wind alters the car's trajectory. It sends them farther forward and into a wall.

"Watch it!" a new voice yells. "You almost killed me!"

Shinobu is the first to reply, "Thalia!" She leaps out of the car and tackles the leather clad girl into a hug before the girl could get another word out.

"Shinobu?" Thalia's voice comes out muffled under Shinobu's hug.

Daedalus helps Percy who is fumbling with his seatbelt before stepping out. He turns his gaze up the large stone wall they crashed into.

Part of him sings with pride at the sights of his sketches becoming real. A part of him aches at the change.

Camp Half-Blood had always held a shadow of danger not present in summer camps for mortals. For all the laughter of children within its borders, it had always been a training ground for heroes.

And yet, somehow, he can't recall a time he'd seen its borders so foreboding. It looked less like a haven for demigods, and more like a fortress.

The sight of Percy gawking at the imposing entrance is too good a chance to pass up.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."


	59. 2004: Welcome to Camp Half-Blood

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Welcome to Camp Half-Blood|-

* * *

Despite the bright colors of the sign above him, all Percy Jackson has is foreboding.

The walls rose much taller than every tree around them and cast long shadows. Rich and varied hues paint the assortment of flowers climbing up along the stone surface. A closer look reveals a web of glistening thorns.

He steps back, away from the overgrowth until he is at the rear of their crashed car.

His thoughts pause as strong arms wrap around his chest from behind him and lift him into the air. The world blurs as the girl spins him and carries him away. He at least recognizes his captor thanks to her bubbling laughter.

Her arms open, and he drops to the grass. "This is the water kid!"

He stares up at the girl clad in black before turning around and glaring at the blonde that dropped him.

The girl, Shinobu, responds with a wide smile. "Are you still sad? I know!" Her gaze snaps to the girl behind him. "Thalia! You can fly him around!"

His eyes widen as memories of their recent car crash flash before his eyes. "No!"

Shinobu eyes drop to him. "It will be fun!"

"No!"

Shinobu pouts for a second before returning into a grin as her eyes return to Thalia. "You can fly me first!"

He shakes his head. "No!"

The girl behind him, Thalia, chuckles. "Sorry, Shinobu. I'm taking the kid's side on this one. I'm not an amusement park ride you two can take turns in."

A sudden earthquake halts the conversation and almost knocks Percy to the ground. When he recovers from his slight stumble, he spots the giant towering over the tree line. It's one, large eye sweeps the area before locking onto the three of them.

Shinobu hand grips the sword to hanging by her hip.

Thalia places a hand on Shinobu's shoulder. "Let me take care of this."

Shinobu raises a brow but releases her grip from her sword.

Thalia rolls her shoulders. "It's been a while since I've gotten some action. I'd like to try out my new move before they get too close to the wall. Otherwise, the lazy butts at the towers will fry the Cyclops."

Percy could help but stare agape at the two girls. "Are you people crazy! That thing is larger the six-armed creatures in the beach!"

Shinobu pats him on the head.

Thalia laughs. "Yeah, I remember when one of these was enough to get me worried. Now, I wonder if this will last long enough to be fun."

Percy is about to call them crazy again when something changes. He can't place a finger on it, but the there is a sudden shift in the girl in black.

Maybe it is the sudden rush of wind swirling around her. Perhaps it is the tiny sparks that crackled in her hand. Whatever it is, Thalia changed from just another girl, into something more in his eyes.

The light gust grows into a roaring whirlwind and lifts Thalia into the air. She rises and rises until she floats higher than the monster's head. "Hey, ugly!"

The ground rumbles, and Percy wonders what the Cyclops is doing, but he can't tear his eyes from the girl in flight.

Electricity shrieks around Thalia and gathers to her right hand. She swoops over a tree thrown at her. More crackling energy builds in her hand until it forms a long spear of lighting. With a thundering flash, the bolt vanishes from her palm.

Without even looking, Percy knows, the monster is dead.

Thalia descends in front of him with a confident smile. "He didn't last long, but it was still fun." Her blue eyes drop to him. "Don't worry yourself too much, kid. In a few years' time, you won't need to worry too much about bullies like those. Not as well as me, of course, but I got a good feeling about your monster slaying skills."

In that moment, Percy wondered what it would be like to fly.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

* * *

-|Assumptions|-

* * *

Chiron stands at the deck and stares at the bright flash beyond the distant stone walls. He ponders how much pride he should have at the extraordinary growth of the young demigod. She had grown beyond his expectation even for a child of the Zeus.

His brows furrow. Her drive is admirable, but he wonders if his pride as a teacher has blinded him. While her skills had won her the admiration of most of the camp, she remains distant. Her list of friends didn't grow beyond those that she came into camp with.

Her experience in Tartarus had changed her. Chiron believes it was for the better. It doesn't stop the nagging worry in the back of his mind.

With a sigh, he turns to face his guest. "Daedalus."

"Chiron." The man leans against the railing with his arms crossed.

Chiron raises a brow at the man's demeanor.

Daedalus chuckles. "Don't blame me. Lord Hades' influence runs deep in this body." His voice lowers. "His double's does too."

Chiron's frown deepens.

While the two halves of the God of the Dead weren't as divided as most, it is still surprising for them to work together.

Chiron returns his attention to Daedalus. "Can I presume that it was thanks to their influence that you've reached camp so soon?"

"News travels fast. Cameras?"

Chiron shakes his head. "While your designs don't attract as much attention, I prefer to avoid the risk. There are, after all, alternatives that work well enough for our purposes."

"Runners."

"It's good training. But I doubt you're here to chat about our integration of your work."

Daedalus remains silent for a second. "Have you heard?"

"I hear many things."

"Then you can make an educated guess on why we're ahead of schedule. Which one?"

"Nico di Angelo is grieving in Cabin Eleven."

"He believes she is dead?"

"For all intents and purposes, she might as well be for him."

"You think she'll survive long among the Romans?"

"Hades does, or he would not have made it so."

Daedalus nods. "Lord Hades is over protective of his offspring. He even enlisted a certain, insufferable, blonde legacy as a bodyguard." He frowns. "I should have seen this coming."

Chiron grimaces. "It will be a difficult task for her to protect two children in both camps. Unless..."

"Unless the two Shinobu must protect aren't both children of Lord Hades. I was curious of Lord Pluto's request as I assumed Lord Hades' contract would cover both."

"You conclude there is a child of Pluto in Camp Jupiter."

"It would make the most sense to place a Roman legacy head to the Roman camp."

"You're making another assumption."

"There's plenty of evidence for her to be the legacy of Faunus."

"A lot of assumptions."

"She summoned a swamp."

"There are plenty of deities who are capable of such a feat."

"She used Panic."

Chiron hesitates. "That is news to me."

"I was not there when they faced Nyx, but I recognize Panic's effects when described to me."

"Daedalus."

"Her animistic nature. How she dominated the Nemean Lion. She came to your school unclothed, wild. These are small on their own, but together, there are too many signs to ignore."

"Even if you presume these as influences of the wild, why assume she is Roman?"

"You yourself have seen her move. Despite her youth, there are obvious hints of militaristic discipline in her actions. She doesn't walk into danger as a hero."

"But she does not act like a soldier either."

"Then she acts like an elite, a specialist, but not as Greek."

"People are not so simple to define."

"Chiron."

"Why would a Roman be in Greek soil?"

"Chiron. Despite The Great Prophecy, there is a child of Zeus, Poseidon, and Lord Hades in your camp."

"You are certain of the boy's lineage?"

"The child flew from the sea and killed a Gigante with his bare hand. The same sea healed his wounds that would have otherwise left him crippled."

Chiron sighs. "Their presence in camp could be an inevitability of the prophecy."

"True. But do you believe Poseidon would be so willing to reveal his breaking of his oath? Do you believe Lord Hades would so be so willing to bring to light that he has a child so soon? Two years after his attempt at the life of on the daughter of Zeus is nothing to the immortals. Lord Hades sent one of his children to the Roman camp."

Chiron remains silent.

"The Gigantes serve Gaea, and more than a dozen of them came for a son of Poseidon. Nyx's actions are uncharacteristic of her nature. Olympus may deny it, but there is something happening."

"Something bigger than The Great Prophecy?"

"Whether it is or it isn't, it's big enough for me not to question why a Roman is in Camp Half-Blood."

"Nothing I say will convince you otherwise, will it? You are too certain of yourself." Chiron shakes his head. "When will you be leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

"So soon?"

"Either Lord Hades or Lord Pluto," or both, "sent us here by shadow travel. I don't see it as too presumptuous to conclude they wish for us to hurry."

"Then perhaps it isn't too hasty but too late."

Daedalus turns his head away. "We still need to stock up on supplies."

Chiron smiles. "Ah, you fear Shinobu's temperament more than your masters."

"Blasphemy."

Chiron's smile remains.

Daedalus huffs. "Despite their inclination towards grudges, they will at least be logical. The hellion can be quite vindictive," he shudders, "when she wishes to be."

Chiron steps out of the deck. "I'll have one of the campers prepare your supplies." That way, Shinobu will get more time with her friends instead of packing.

"Tomorrow, we head to Camp Jupiter."


	60. 2005: Time Limit

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Time Limit|-

* * *

Shinobu glares at Daedalus before sprinting away.

Every part of her wants to crush his current body into a scrap. The thought is tempting, but she understands nothing she does will change anything. Chiron's words to her before Daedalus' explanation made that clear.

She makes a hurried search for familiar faces. The is no point in wasting what little time she has for revenge now when she can always save it for later.

"Care to help out, Kurama?"

The fox remains silent.

"That would be a no then."

Silence.

"Okay."

She pouts but spots two familiar blondes coming out of the arena with the water kid and one other she's never met.

"Luke! Annabeth! Percy!" She has different nicknames for them in her head. With her limited vocabulary, she's unable to express them.

She wonders if she should feel disappointment when neither blond recognizes her. Shinobu would like to believe she's made a strong impression.

"It's me, Shinobu!"

The young girl's eyes widen, "You're back!" She turns to the male teen, "Luke, it's the girl that went with Thalia on her first quest."

Not much of an impression after all. She didn't spend much time with them before she left. Her mind whirls with a myriad of ways to solve that. Those thoughts grind to a halt when she remembers she'll leave tomorrow. From what she understands of Daedalus' explanation, it'll be a long-term departure. It'd be better for her to spend her limited time deepening a bond that exists than building new ones.

She opens her mouth to ask about Thalia but hesitates. "What are you doing?" It's stupid of her, but while they see her as an acquaintance, she already finds herself seeing them as more. She can spare a few minutes for chit chat.

Luke replies, "We're showing the new kid around." He points at Percy who pouts at the description. "Though it sounds to me that you already met." Luke's eyes also glance at the other kid. "He's Nico."

Nico's eyes remain on the ground, or she assumes they are. His messy black hair hides them with his head tilted down.

Annabeth nods. "Nico had a tour before, but Chiron asked us to give him another. His first one mustn't have been good enough. He shouldn't have had Clarisse as a guide." The little girl's face scrunches up at the name. "She's also kinda new, and even if she was, she's not the best with words."

Luke chuckles. "We've just finished a short spar. These days, it's always a good idea to see how well the kids can defend themselves. The walls are great, but it's better to be safe."

The other boys remain silent. Neither seems shy. Rather, they don't have much to add.

Luke ruffles Percy's head. "You should have seen this little guy's trick with the water bottle. Clever, though lacks punch. We'll have to work on that."

Annabeth's eyes glance at Percy, though the boy seems more interested in his own hands.

Percy's gaze jumps to Luke. Every kid in here doesn't seem to have much when it came to attention spans.

Annabeth's own gaze snaps to her when Percy's shift in Annabeth's direction. The little blonde's words rush out of her small mouth. "If you're looking for Thalia, she's still inside practicing."

Shinobu nods, and the four take that as their cue to leave, each saying a short goodbye.

She walks inside the arena and notes how much it has changed. A lot more of the materials inside are plastic though most of the dummies remain wooden. There is also a larger amount of practice weapons of much greater variety in the racks.

She spots Thalia's jacket hanging on a chair before she spots Thalia herself. The girl in the black shirt is in the center of the space removing the rubber mats from the ground.

"Thalia!"

The teen pulls her black hair into a crude ponytail before turning to Shinobu. "Hey. What's up?"

"I have to go by tomorrow." Best to get it out there. "I'm hoping we can hang out before then."

"Wait, what? You just got here!"

Shinobu nods. "I want to stay longer too but I can't."

"Then don't. Is this Daedalus' idea? He can't force you to go. We can talk to Chiron."

"Chiron already talked to me. They both agree. We need to go by tomorrow."

Thalia takes a step back at that. "For how long?"

"I don't know. A long time from the sounds of it."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Wait. What do you mean by, 'stay longer,' earlier?" Her eyes narrow. "You weren't planning on staying in the first place, weren't you?"

Shinobu winces.

"What's wrong with Camp Half-Blood?"

"It's not bad. My plan was to visit a lot."

Thalia scoffs.

"Please understand. I don't want to stay in any place for a long time. There's so much more of this world I want to see. I want to be free in this life."

Thalia fists clench. "Fine." She turns away and returns to her task of removing the mats. "Do what you want."

"Thalia."

The girl turns her head to her. Her blue eyes glaring, but with a touch of wetness. Crackles of electricity sparking from her fingertips.

"Thalia, let's fight."

Thalia sighs. "Look. I'm not mad. Well, I am, but I'm not that mad. I get it, okay? We can catch up later after I cool off. You can hang with Annabeth for a while."

Shinobu shakes her head. "Not a full fight, just a half fight."

She chuckles, "You want to spar?"

Shinobu shrugs. She is unsure. Without more context, she's unable to make a guess on the word choice. "Are you ready?"

"Now?"

She nods.

Thalia crosses her arms. "Rules of the match?"

"Anything goes."

Thalia shakes her head. "Sounds fun but no." She walks towards the closest weapons rack. "Capture the flag is in a few days, and I plan to win. A no–holds–barred clash with you will leave me sore for days." She tosses Shinobu a pair of wooden daggers. Thalia pulls up a plastic spear with a long foam tip and a wooden shield for herself.

Shinobu raises a brow at her daggers. She's aware of practice weapons but they weren't common in the Elemental Nations. On one hand, it made sense. It's foolish to hinder your fighting force with unnecessary training injuries or worse. Even samurais make use of wooden swords. She wonders what that says about her world and this world that she takes pause at these daggers.

Thalia voice, "Are you ready?" snaps her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah."

"No powers, okay?"

"Sure." Shinobu frowns at the words but understands enough, kind off. If they are using practice weapons, it would follow that to limit her Chakra usage. She is unsure if that means no jutsu at all or if the limit is lethality. Shinobu shrugs to herself. She'll take her cue from Thalia.

"Alright. On three. Three, two, one, go!" Thalia rushes with her shield forward then thrusts her foam-tipped spear at Shinobu.

Shinobu steps aside and parries with her dagger.

Thalia whips the spear after Shinobu.

Shinobu frowns as she leaps away. If she was using her real daggers, they'd have shorter reach but would cut through the pole with ease.

With a roar, Thalia rushes closer to Shinobu with a series of thrusts.

Shinobu smiles as Thalia's frustration shows in her actions. She taps into her own frustrations.

With her own roar, she dodges left and forward. Before Thalia can pull her spear back, Shinobu slams her dagger down. In a flash, her foot slams the shaft down and pins it to the concrete.

Thalia gives it a tug without success.

Shinobu releases her foot the moment she feels Thalia give it a stronger pull. The sudden lack of resistance surprises Thalia for a second. A second Shinobu takes to close the gap.

Thalia glares at the daggers, one poised at her through, the other over her wrist.

Shinobu grins. "More?"

"Sure."

They spend the rest of the day in the arena.

The few words they exchange are short, but Shinobu prefers it that way. Even without her deficiency in English, she prefers action. Two powerful enough, shinobi can read each other's thoughts, through their fists.

For Shinobu, fighting is as much an art as dancing or singing. Every strike, every step, serves to express her emotions. An exchange of fists is as much a conversation for her as an exchange of words. In some ways, more so.

Thalia isn't quite at that level, yet. Her emotions still hinder her actions. She also isn't proficient enough to read Shinobu's movements. But she understood enough.

Despite Shinobu's limited English, she can understand enough.

Despite Thalia's limitations, she can understand enough.

The night ends with a, "Goodbye," and a fist bump.

* * *

-|A/N|-

* * *

It occurs to me that I've not been as chatty here as I once was.

I still read every comment made. It's a relatively small audience, so it's not hard. It's simply that I don't have much to say.

I sort of want to talk about what I've written, I guess. But I'm also the kind of person that believes that if the author has to explain what he's written, he's not written it very well. Or at least, that it's a good indicator for a need for improvement.

Maybe I can write a teaser here instead? Nothing too special. Just a simple title of the next chapter.

-|A three way on the road|-


	61. 2006: A three way on the road

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|A three way on the road|-

* * *

Shinobu leans back in the backseat with her arms crossed and glares at the driver.

Daedalus remains silent.

"A wise man," Kurama's voice echoes in her mind.

Or the illusion of his voice echoes in her mind. The bastard fox tends to be rather cryptic. It is another reminder that this Kurama is not the same as her Kurama.

Her Kurama was direct but had little to say outside of criticisms and combat. At first, her Kurama hadn't been a well of information, but that was because he didn't like talking to her. Later on, he gave out tidbits but didn't have much to say. The idiot preferred to act tough and gruff on the outside. He avoided the mushy stuff, and that suited her fine. They didn't need words.

This Kurama had a lot to say, but never outright gives a straight answer. To be fair to the bastard, it couldn't be easy to explain the what he wanted to say in simple ways. In his own words, "It is akin to describing chakra theory to a new-born pup." She was a full-fledged shinobi, and a chakra theory textbook might as well be in code. Of course, she suspects the idiot fox goes out of his way to make simple things complicated.

Kurama interrupts her thoughts. "Are you done musing on my nature and its implications on the multiverse?"

"Stop reading my mind!" She wonders why the fox even bothers with the whole illusion. The fox in front of her doesn't move its lips to match the words in in her head. His voice's echo seems unnecessary as well.

"I'm not reading your mind. As I've stated, our communication is more akin to-"

"Stop! Stop! I don't need an explanation. With how much you blabber on, we'll be talking all day. You're worse than Daedalus."

"I wouldn't bother giving an in-depth explanation. A second lecture wouldn't bear much fruit with your below average intelligence."

And yet somehow, it's also easy for her to find a lot of similarities between Kuramas. "Go chase a rabbit!"

"That wasn't much of an insult."

"Bite me!"

Daedalus' voice, "Are you alright?" brings her back to the real world.

"What? Why? I'm fine." For a moment, she worries Kurama has screwed up or pulled a prank on her and let her speak her words outside of her mind. It's hard for her to tell the difference. Speaking with Kurama doesn't feel like thinking the words to him. She could almost convince herself that she talks to him the same way she does with everyone else.

The man frowns. "You've been spacing out again."

Shinobu rolls her eyes. "Keep your eyes on the road old man." She hesitates but directs her next words to Kurama. "Can't you make an illusion so I don't do that?" One difference between the real world and Kurama's illusion is her vocabulary. It is one of the reasons she forces herself to speak to Daedalus in English.

Kurama grins. "My powers have limits, remember?"

Shinobu doesn't sense him grin in her mind. She sees his grin. It is another aspect of conversing with the fox that hurts to think about. The illusion of their conversation tricks her into seeing him. At the same time, she sees the world as normal. It's not as if he's superimposing his image in her sight, as if he was a hologram. Instead, it is as if she is in two places at once, experiencing two presents at the same time.

Daedalus speaks, "You're doing it again."

Kurama chuckles.

She glares at Kurama. "You're enjoying yourself aren't you?" At the same time, she raises a brow at Daedalus. "Doing what?" Another weirdness with the illusion. If she focuses hard enough, she can do two things at the same time. Her words in the real world and the fake word and the different expressions occurred at the same time.

Kurama's tails wag. "The void has been devoid of entertainment. Trust me when I say I could be doing worse."

Daedalus rolls his eyes, but one eye stays forward when the other returns to her. "There, I'm keeping an eye on the road. It's unnecessary as I am more than capable of driving without sight."

She glares at Daedalus. "You're enjoying yourself aren't you?" At the same time, she raises a brow at Kurama. "Doing what?" She wonders if she'd be able to do any of this without her extensive experience with clones in her past life.

Kurama grins. "Don't forget, this is the seal in your belly. I'm the one weaving this illusion onto your mind. You have little input into its construction." The rows of sharp teeth make the image less than cheery.

Daedalus' face remains neutral as his other eye moves away from the road and lands on her.

"Are you trying to scare me?" she scoffs at Kurama. "Funny," she scoffs at Daedalus. Him driving without his eyes on the road is the closest to a prank he'd pull. Creative as he was, for Shinobu, his understanding of the art is novice at best.

Daedalus speeds up.

"Fear?" Kurama asks. "No. While not all our goals align, one is enough for antagonism between us to be unhelpful. You trust in me is foolish, but it doesn't serve me to erode it. Consider this training."

Shinobu rolls her eye at Daedalus. "Are you trying to scare me?" The car, with all its upgrades, couldn't touch the speed she ran before she appeared in this world. Nostalgia halts before it begins as the world becomes colder and breezier. Shinobu raises a brow at the Kurama. "Funny." If the fox is trying to embarrass her, he's going to need to do better than making her clothes disappear. Nudity couldn't bring the tiniest pink in the cheeks of the creator of Oiroke no Jutsu. The illusion of nudity, much less so.

Kurama gives a smug grin, or as close to one his anatomy could make. "I'm a trickster, remember?" The fox tilts its head. "I'll admit, I'm not sure why I hold a fondness for this particular trick. In most worlds, humanoid creatures tend to have an aversion to the loss of clothing in public. Most non-humanoid creatures don't. Worlds without humanoid creatures, much less so. And yet, I've used tired closest equivalence at least once per world."

Great. Her furry friend strips others out of habit. The multi-universe must be laughing at her.

A mental image of a shaved bear pops into Shinobu's mind. She might be pondering how she sees in a picture in her mind inside an illusion if she wasn't so busy laughing. With luck, Shinobu remembers the real world. Unable to have fine control in her real body why her fake self is dying of laughter, she opts for the simple solution. She laughs in the real world too.

Daedalus grunts. "Not the reaction I expected, but I suppose it's better than trying to set my hair on fire with your mind."

Shinobu's laughter dies down into a smile. "You're still a jerk." She's not about to tell him she's sharing a joke with the fox in her mask. Daedalus is already both far too wary and, at the same time, far too interested in her mask as it is. She utters the same words, "You're still a jerk," in the illusion. Although, the words hold a different context.

Her words to Daedalus are there to tell him that she's still displeased with his choice. She allowed a lightness in her tone to assure him that, despite her irritation, she won't hold a grudge. Shinobu has forgiven a lot worse from her closest friends. She'll still prank him later of course.

Her words to Kurama are there as acknowledgment of his Kurama-ness. There are significant differences between old Kurama and this Kurama. But the more she interacts with this Kurama, the more she sees pieces of the other.

In some ways, it is a confusing headache to wrap her mind around. It is as if someone pointed to a square and a circle and told her it was the same shape. In some ways, it makes perfect sense. Sarutobi the Hokage, Sarutobi the grandfather, and Sarutobi the professor are one person. And yet, they'll sometimes give different answers to the same question.

She reigns in her wandering thoughts before Daedalus notices her spacing out. "What's next?" She asks both of them.

Daedalus returns both his eyes to the road. "I'll be driving. You'll need to make do with my company for this trip. We aren't making any stops until we reach," he pauses. "I'm uncertain if I'm at liberty to reveal specifics until we reach our destination. Regardless, it's best we make haste."

Shinobu wonders if Daedalus returning his sight to his driving is due to the other vehicles. With her mind split in two, she's unable to take much of their surroundings. She's uncertain if they've entered a busy road or if there was always a lot of vehicles around them.

Kurama ends his trick, although he gives her a long, white gown covering her entire body instead. "I've visited worlds akin to this one, and everything we need should exist in this iteration. None of the materials will be easy to get. Our first priority is power."

Her fake self fiddles with the gold and purple trimmings of her sleeves. The way Kurama says it makes it clear she'll need to fight to get what they want. While she enjoys combat, it doesn't sit well with her that she'll need to steal by force. She hopes the people she'll be taking from deserve the loss or don't mind. Somehow, she doubts her luck.

Kurama shakes his head. "Confrontation is inevitable. One of the requirements is a canid head. It doesn't need to be of a fox, but it will need to remain alive despite the decapitation."

"Great," she groans. "Just great."

Daedalus glances at her from the rear-view mirror. "You should feel privileged to have this monopoly of my time. Many greater men would risk death for the chance to partake in my company."

Shinobu gives a light chuckle to show her appreciation for his attempt at humor. In all honesty, it's possible his words are from his inflated ego. She'll give him the benefit of the doubt and take his smile as sign of good intentions.

Kurama shrugs. "You were a living weapon in a world of violence and war. A few deaths along the way isn't much in the grand scheme of things."

Shinobu glares at Kurama.

Kurama rolls his eyes, a strange sight thanks to the fox's inhuman anatomy. "I understand your preference for peace. It is, however, important to remember that your existence is at stake. An immortal might view death with horror, but oblivion is far worse."

Shinobu sighs. "Is there anything else I can do?"

Daedalus shrugs. Or his shoulders give a slight shift that one can interpret as a shrug. "Unless you can conjure another creature into this car, you either make do with me or yourself."

Kurama makes a show of pondering on her question. "The head will help narrow scope of the call. You can build the portal without it, but you'll risk summoning something else. Odds are high that there won't be anything else other than me but it's not full certainty. The tiniest chance for anything else is too dangerous. Anything that can survive the void is dangerous. There are reasons for the 'rules' after all."

Shinobu lets out another sigh when a thought strikes her. She bites her lips as she mulls over Daedalus' words. It's kind of a stupid idea.

"I agree," grunts Kurama, "It's stupid. You took almost a year to get your reserves to this pathetic level. Will you throw it all away for sentimentality? I told you we need power. This will set you back."

Shinobu grins. Kurama's words mean there's a high chance that her idea can work.

"Can you help me?"

Daedalus hesitates. "With what? Are you up to something crazy and stupid again?"

Kurama glares at her. "Nothing I say will dissuade you from this foolishness, will it?"

"Please?"

Kurama glares harder. "Fine, but I must state my strong objection. Understand that my aid comes from self preservation. I know you well enough that you'll kill yourself trying."

Daedalus frowns. "The last time you asked me to help you, we ended up walking Cerberus as punishment."

Shinobu's grin widens.

For a brief moment, Kurama and Daedalus share the same words. "You're going to be the death of me."

* * *

-|A/N|-

* * *

Next stop, Camp Jupiter... kinda.


	62. 2007: Prank

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Prank|-

* * *

Daedalus fights the temptation to glance at the rear-view mirror. He's already checked thrice to assure himself that Shinobu is still in the back of the car.

He chides himself for being silly.

This has not been the first instance that he has found the energetic girl silent. It still unnerves him to see the blonde meditating.

Although, this is the first time he's seen her engrossed in reading.

When the young girl had asked if he could help her, he didn't expect for her to ask for a tablet.

The ease by which she navigates the electronic almost has him doubting himself. He is certain Shinobu is a descendant of Faunus. There's too much evidence to ignore. The niggling voice at the back of his head, which sounds too much like Chiron, whispers its doubts.

He casts that voice off. Sure, the evidence isn't as concrete as he'd prefer, but he is a demigod. He lives in the supernatural. His world is far less grounded in the logic and reasoning he preferred. If he let a few missing links stop him from taking a stance, he'd never have invented half the things he did. For all he knew, one of the gods decided it would be funny to drop a girl near Camp Half-Blood. She might as well have poofed into existence.

Accounting for every possible variable is a waste of time and energy.

An explosion returns his thoughts to the present.

He glances at the smoke leaving his index hollow index finger. With luck, his automated defense system shot down a monster and not an innocent by the roadside. He's already in trouble with Shinobu. It's why he didn't put up any resistance to her request for his research.

He glances at his rear-view mirror. Sure enough, the girl remains engrossed with reading.

A chill runs down his spine as he wonders what she would want to do with that information. He hopes him lending her the device would mean her skewed sense of honor removed him from her list of victims.

* * *

Kurama watches Naruto, for she will always be Naruto in his mind, with both interest and awe.

As a trickster, he considers himself rather clever.

Despite this, he finds himself flummoxed by Naruto's thought processes.

Then again, this only serves to further cement his assertion of her as Naruto.

Naruto is the only creature he knows that is this stupid that it loops back into brilliance. That would be an oversimplification of course. The lunacy that is Naruto's logic wouldn't have one loop but rather loops within loops.

It was Naruto who decided to transform into naked men in fighting a godlike being. The fact that it worked is beside the point. It was stupid. Except, the fact that it worked is the point. It was brilliant.

Stupidity that loops back into brilliance.

Or was it a brilliance that looped into stupidity?

Whichever it is, it's clear the same insanity is present in this incarnation of Naruto.

If this Naruto was a bit more powerful, what she was attempting wouldn't be worth a second look. Of course, his little bit is little relative to him.

A clone.

She is trying to summon a clone. A solid clone that would last years.

In and of itself, the feat is near impossible with her current reserves. But of course, the brat isn't satisfied with near impossible. She decides to go ahead and push the task into the impossible.

An impossible task she has already accomplished.

Beneath her feet, hidden from the mutt manipulating the vehicle, is her creation.

Perhaps calling it a clone is incorrect. After all, she's gone through the effort of making sure it wasn't a one to one replica of her. Sure, she failed in her goal of making its appearance unrecognizable as her. The differences aren't big enough.

As it is, it's similar enough for Kurama to call it a clone.

Sure it's not a mirror of the original, but the two of them could pass off as sisters with ease. They'd almost be twins.

No doubt, the creation will need to pilfer clothing. It will need something that will hide its features before it returns to her friends. The can't risk her getting found out. It'll lead to unwanted questions from the mortals. More important than that, it'll attract unwanted attention from the immortals.

"Are you ready?"

Shinobu doesn't acknowledge his question.

The clone underneath nods.

Kurama couldn't help but pause and stare.

She succeeded.

The clone and Shinobu share a mental link.

As if to confirm his thoughts, the clone projects a thought to him. "The boss is trying to make avoid Daedalus' attention. She says you'll have to make do with me for now."

"What does she want?"

"We want some advice."

"On what?

"A name."

"You're asking me for a name?"

"Well, yeah. You're the one that told her to keep this a secret."

Kurama sends her the image of him raising a brow. He's curious if she can send the clone more than verbal thoughts.

"Well, it's not much of a secret if I call myself Shinobu, right?"

"Why not stick with Naruto?" He liked Naruto as a name.

...

Okay, he thought Naruto is a silly name, but it belonged to a great man who became more than man.

"We get that you're sentimental and stuff-"

"I am not sentimental!"

"-but no. This world, we want it to be a fresh start."

"I know. You wish to be free."

"That name, it's too big for us."

Kurama remains silent.

"Besides, we can't pass up the opportunity for another prank."

Kurama chuckles. Naruto would be among the few that would use a name as a prank.

* * *

She tenses as the car stops. Her eyes lock with Shinobu before they send each other a mental nod. With as much grace as she could muster, she shifts from the car just as Shinobu leaps to hug Daedalus.

She hopes it's enough of a distraction as she tumbles onto the ground and sprints to the trees.

_"This would be so much easier if my clothes were practical."_

_"Don't blame me for your mistakes."_

_"How were we to know the technique would copy the illusion rather than the real ones?"_

_"It's because you didn't put much effort into projecting the type of clothing in your mind. You didn't put much care_ _on that detail. You're lucky you have any clothes at all."_

_"Sorry, but's hard enough focusing with your stupid illusion. Why'd you make me this kimono, anyway?"_

His silence doesn't surprise her.

_"I'm pretty sure that whole naked thing was just so you could make this fit just right. Heck, it'd be perfect if not for the fact that its way too long and I have to run through a forest. The footwear isn't great either."_

He remains silent.

_"Come on. We gotta keep chatting, remember? We need to make sure this link doesn't have a range limit."_

Silence.

_"Kurama?"_ For a moment she worries that they've found the limit of the link.

_"Sorry. I am busy with your creator."_

_"What? Can't multitask? You forced the boss to do it with your illusion, but a verbal chat is too much for you?"_

_"If you have not noticed, you are not receiving information from the original. The flow on the link has limits."_

_"So what were you busy with?"_

_"Am busy with. I can multitask. I just don't like to waste the effort on stupid questions. The goes double for when your creator is also being stupid."_

_"We're not stupid!"_

Kurama pauses. _"You have not decided on a name yet, right?"_

_"Yeah, why?"_ There's something in his voice that makes her both giddy and hesitant.

_"I've thought of something, poetic."_

It only takes a moment for her to recognize it for what it was. _"You've got prank up your sleeve."_

_"Would you mind pretending to be male?"_

_"You already know I don't."_

_"Great. They there won't be any issue with the name being masculine."_

_"Is it at least cool?"_

_"It's not your tongue."_

_"Of course not. Something that they think is Japanese would be an unnecessary clue of who I am."_

_"Good, then you have no qualms with me picking the name?"_

_"Get on with it already."_

_"Call yourself, Roman."_

* * *

-|A/N|-

* * *

So they send Shinobu to New Rome only for Roman to head to the Greeks.


	63. 2008: Stupid

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

-|Stupid|-

* * *

Shinobu rolls her eyes. This is the fourth time Daedalus has paused and muttered to himself since they left the vehicle. Part of her wonders if she should feel concern at his hesitation. As it is, she's more curious than anything.

Her eyes spot a ruin of red and gray stones and wooden beams. "What are we doing here?"

"I'll be getting you your permission to enter Camp Jupiter. You'll stay by my side and keep quiet as you leave the negotiation to me."

"Camp. Jupiter." She tests the words out. "Is that where you'll be dropping me off?"

"Tradition dictates we part ways here. I'm hoping we'll be lucky, and I'll be able to escort you there myself."

She would appreciate the sentiment more if she didn't know a large part of it came from curiosity. "You want to see the how the people on the other side of your fight works."

"They aren't an enemy."

"You say that but you don't believe that."

He doesn't reply.

"Tell me again why I had to leave my friends?"

"Your contract obligates you to protect two specific demigods."

"I'll be guarding babies."

"They're children, not infants. Those children are in Camp Jupiter, not Camp Half-Blood."

"You're not telling me everything."

"Our host is here."

She scoffs at his avoidance of the question. The dogs circling them are too far away for most to see.

Kurama interjects, "Wolves." His mischievous grin takes on a sinister edge.

She groans. If Kurama is going to be chiming in, this will be a headache for her.

It takes her and Daedalus several more steps before the wolves come out of hiding and surround them.

She applauds their previous attempt at stealth. Their discipline is far beyond any wild animal's and even that of most domestic pets.

She wishes Thalia was here. It'd be fun to see how she'd react to growling wolves appearing and surrounding her. The girl might fry a couple on reflex, but it wouldn't be lethal, maybe.

Unlike Thalia, Shinobu has much more experience against stealth. It does bruise her pride as a shinobi that Daedalus noticed them before her.

Kurama growls, "Bite the big one's ear."

Shinobu's eyes glance at the largest wolf. It stood taller than A, the Fourth Raikage, which makes it larger than any ninken she's seen. She makes sure she directs her words to Kurama's illusion. "Why?"

"If you assert yourself against the alpha, the rest will need to respect you by proxy."

She raises a brow at the fox. "I'm pretty sure that's not how that works. What's with you?" It's not like this Kurama to be this reckless.

Daedalus makes his own recklessness know, "I ask you to call off your helpers. While none of their teeth can dent my shell, my systems will not differentiate. I wouldn't want to sour this negotiation by culling your numbers by accident."

Shinobu slaps her palm against her forehead.

The giant wolf bares it fangs though the other wolves retreat out of sight. "The Greeks call you wise, but it seems their standards are as low as ever. None but a fool would insult a god to their face."

"You'll have to forgive this old fool, but I'm afraid I do not have the luxury of niceties. I am already running late, and I fear my lords will not allow any more delays. It was also my impression that you preferred a more direct approach. Of course, if wish for us to prolong this encounter with civility, I would have to oblige." Daedalus bows though his next words hold no humility. "I'm sure both my lords would take your authority into consideration."

The wolf's ears straighten low to the side, and it bares its teeth further, wrinkling its snout. Its snarl reverberates across the ruins and sets dust off from stone. "Do not threaten me with your masters. No god wars with another god. Your masters will not fight for you."

"I'm afraid I must inform you of your error. Divine Laws prevent gods from attacking each other _directly_. There are less than half a million wolves in the world. Wolves are a popular icon," Daedalus stares Lupa straight in the eyes, "in the civilized world."

"What are you implying, mortal?"

"Ah, forgive me, I have an unfortunate habit of spouting off random facts about trivial things. Rest assured, I understand I am as small to you as an owl is to a great wolf."

As much as Daedalus claims to want to cut to the chase, Shinobu had a feeling this will take all day.

* * *

Roman glares at the white trench coat that had purple and gold designs at its openings. Someone is messing with her. She has her bets on Kurama. That it looks a lot like the kimono that the fox dressed her in makes it less of a gamble in her mind.

The one thing that casts doubt on that suspicion is the how. She's certain there is no way the fox could orchestrate this. This is the only piece of clothing that she could steal that could hide her face.

Maybe she's better off taking a mask.

She shakes her head. "Whatever," she can't find it in herself to care. She can almost hear Ino's voice in her head screeching as she wears the jacket over her kimono. Fashion wasn't her thing, but even she can understand how tacky this is.

She does her best to get the kimono's long and wide sleeves into the coat's slimmer one.

She glances down at herself and frowns. The kimono stretches to her ankles. The coat stretches further down over her feet. At least it meant the trench coat covers every part of the kimono underneath.

In truth, the main reason she's not bothering with these annoyances that she has a bigger problem.

"How do I get to Camp Half-Blood?"

She is lost.

* * *

Shinobu glares at the mechanical head in her arms. "You are stupid."

The beheaded Daedalus scoffs at her. "I will have to disagree with your assessment. After all, I succeeded in getting us through in record time."

"With your body in their teeth."

"A minor setback. I designed this head to be able to move despite such an occurrence."

"What was the point of that?"

"The usual process requires that you spend some time with Lupa, so she can train you. She'd check your worth first but I have no doubt you'd pass her standards without much issue. Thanks to my intervention, you are able to skip that step and I am able to go with you into camp. The odds for either would have been next to none without my diplomacy."

"You just wanted to make her angry."

Daedalus doesn't reply.

"I thought I was the stupid one."

Daedalus opens his mouth but hesitates. "I'm uncertain with own motivations."

"Are you serious?"

"As much as I'd wish to create the perfect body, practicality demands compromises."

"And?"

"And I am uncertain I've made the correct ones."

"What does this have to do with you being stupid?"

"I think I was angry."

"You _think_ you were?"

"Yes."

Shinobu frowns. This is not the first discussion she and Daedalus had about this. Daedalus has told her before that the artificial body affects his personality. Emotions don't begin and end with the brain.

"Do you know why you were angry?"

"There are many possible reasons. She is Roman, and I am Greek."

Shinobu sighs at such a silly reasoning.

"She is of the wild, I am an inventor."

Shinobu's not even going to ask how that made sense.

"She has chocolate red fur."

"Are you joking?"

"It's possible my emotions are not due to her. Perhaps she became my outlet for emotions already there. I cannot even be certain that anger is the correct emotion to attribute my actions to."

She groans. This is getting too complicated for her.

"Although, if it was frustration, it might stem from my frustration with inevitability."

"Or you don't want to take care of babies either."

"Perhaps I didn't want to say goodbye."

"Aw, that's sweet."

"And unlikely. There's a higher probability that it was vindication. An immortal such as her will find no satisfaction in such a short punishment for a perceived slight. It is why gods often grant immortality along with their torments."

She nods although she has no idea what he's saying. Daedalus, for as smart as he is, sometimes forgets her limited vocabulary. She makes due with context clues, but that isn't enough for everything.

She'll settle for the explanation that he was acting tough because he's a big softie.

Shinobu focuses inward. "What about you, Kurama? Why were you telling me to kill her?"


End file.
